Ashna Kitaruth: "Sexual Education is Crucial for the Young Generation Today"

Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025 - 07:47

Educational institutions may soon undergo a significant transformation. The Ministry of Education proposes to convert mixed academies into 21 National Colleges that will separate boys and girls. This reform reignites the debate on mixed education and its implications. According to Ashna Kitaruth, a Sociology teacher and Head of Social Science at Curepipe College, the issue is broader: sexual education is essential to prepare the younger generation for contemporary social realities.

How can we ensure that mixed education does not pose problems in practice?
Mixed educational institutions face a range of emotional, social, and disciplinary challenges. Common issues include social distractions, bullying, harassment, peer rivalries, romantic conflicts, and anxiety. Adolescents are navigating a phase of identity formation, hormonal changes, and social pressures, which often manifest in the school environment.

The starting point is the training of educators. Teachers manage complex adolescent behaviors daily, but not all possess the necessary skills in gender sensitivity, emotional support, or conflict resolution. Continuous professional development is crucial to help them identify early signs and respond constructively. A well-trained educational team creates a fairer, safer, and more respectful atmosphere for students.

Why are parents described as key partners?
What we need is a collaborative culture among school management, teachers, parents, and students. When school rules are supported at home, and when students feel responsible and heard, discipline improves and respect is ingrained in school life. Mixed education truly works only when everyone is moving in the same direction.

Parents are key partners. Many young people experience anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship stress, or unmonitored exposure to digital content at home. Schools should regularly organize workshops on cybersecurity, peer pressure, school discipline, and teenage relationships. Informed parents are better equipped to support their children and reinforce appropriate behaviors.

Romantic conflicts and social distractions are often cited as reasons for declining academic performance. We can mitigate this by empowering the students themselves. Peer mentoring systems, such as prefect councils, student councils, and leadership clubs, teach young people respect, negotiation, empathy, and responsibility. These student-led structures foster positive social relationships while reducing rivalry and emotional distress. When young people learn to support one another, the school climate significantly improves.

How does sexual education help reduce conflicts and harassment among students?
Sexual education is crucial for the younger generation today because adolescents will explore relationships, whether we prepare them for it or not. We must provide them with accurate, age-appropriate information regarding consent, bodily changes, respect, emotional well-being, self-esteem, boundaries, and safe decision-making. Schools that effectively teach sexuality and socio-emotional well-being report fewer conflicts, less harassment, and healthier peer interactions. This prepares young people to build relationships based on respect rather than confusion or pressure.

Monitoring and discipline systems are also essential. Schools require visible supervision: teacher patrols, disciplinary duties, and even surveillance cameras in common areas. This is not about "policing" students but about protecting their dignity and security. When spaces are monitored and rules are clear, inappropriate behaviors decrease, and students feel safer.

Are there examples where mixed education does not pose a problem?
An effective mixed education system is only possible when its foundations are solid: trained educators, informed parents, empowered students, secure environments, and value-based education.

In Mauritius, several secondary institutions exemplify these elements. The Mahatma Gandhi Institute, MGSS, RTSS, Catholic or faith-based private schools like St Andrews, the Adventist College, and well-established fee-paying institutions like Le Bocage, Lycée La Bourdonnais, and other private schools in the North and West are good examples.

These institutions share common characteristics: they emphasize character formation, discipline, and a competitive academic culture while maintaining a strong ethical framework. Many have structured clubs and student leadership programs where boys and girls collaborate on projects, community activities, and extracurricular achievements.

When these pillars are in place, mixed education becomes a powerful model of gender equality, civic development, and emotional maturity. The goal goes beyond mere academic success; it is about shaping respectful, responsible young individuals capable of coexisting, communicating, and contributing positively to society.

Mixed education in Grade 7 should be maintained rather than removed in Grade 10 in national schools. We should draw inspiration from successful examples of secondary institutions that already operate as mixed schools from Grade 7. I commend Curepipe College for its decision to open its doors to girls in Grade 7 starting in 2026.