An Open Letter To School – Teach My Child The Meaning of Consent

Schools play a crucial role in the development of a child’s abilities, attitude, and actions. It is not wrong to say that a school is the second home for a child. Our schools, teach students important lessons of academics along with the vices of stealing and addiction. Many colleges also organize lectures on how to balance one’s emotions at adolescence. These have a big impact on the children. Education has been credited to be a major reason for the drop in crimes like stealing as well as addiction across the country.

But a very important thing that is missing from the overall atmosphere of school teaching is the importance of consent – the agreement from another person when you want to touch them.

Imagine if an entire generation is taught the importance of consent in schools, won’t the number of rapists in our society come down?

Here is an open letter from a conscious parent to the schools –

Dear Teachers/School Authorities/Curriculum setters,

Firstly, thank you for your dedication to educating our children. I understand and appreciate your patience to spread knowledge about various subjects. Our children learn from vibrant people at your premises. Thank you for the vast exposure they get at school. You are training leaders of future. You have brought out the hidden skills of our children. You help them become confident. You have helped them solve problems. They are able to accept challenges and I would give you most of the credits. Thank you for teaching our children the importance of discipline. You taught them the manners and norms. They are able to find a place in the society.

Thank you but…

I have a crucial concern about ensuring that these children grow up to be responsible adults. I hope that you can understand why your support in this mission is mandatory.

Our children spend a lot of time at school. It is their second home. They have a strong bond with their teachers who care like parents, understand like friends and also help them learn. They learn a lot more than academics from you. They learn delicate topics like sex education from you and also learn to handle their adolescent emotions through the special workshops you conduct.

But one thing that we do not teach them in clear, loud words is the meaning of consent.

Is it not important to teach them about it? Is it not important to speak about the importance of a clear Yes or a No?

It’s your responsibility as much as it is mine to teach our children that when somebody says a “no”,  they should take it as an NO and step back. They need to know that they should get the consent before they touch, hug, hold or want to show any type of physical affection.

It is not just my concern but the concern of the society. Men and women have been in an illusion to believe that there may be another meaning of “No”. This has indirectly led to an increase in rape across the country. Men often state the reason of them becoming rapists because women are dressed in a particular way. They see the dress, but don’t hear the “No” of the same girl. The same is true with the marital rapes in the country. If every man and woman can understand the meaning of mutual consent, the number of rapes will definitely come down.

Don’t you think somewhere that the school has failed to explain such an important word?

This one statement said aloud from teachers will help imprint this important lesson in the young minds of children. It is important to discuss it openly – the same way how a child is taught that stealing is wrong. Only then will we able to raise mature adults of the future.

I request you to add another subject or a specific time in the school calendar to discuss this important aspect – the meaning and importance of “No”.

They need to be educated not just by parents but even schools which are nothing but their second home. Together we can not only make our children better human beings but also help the society become a safer place.

With hope,

A Parent

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