Share

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Tweet Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Share on WhatsApp

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

We invite teachers to share how Comprehensive Sexuality Education workshops have transformed school life, empowered children, and often helped uncover situations of abuse within families or close circles. If you are a teacher and would like to add your story, please write to us at contacto@agenciapresentes.org

G. is in first grade. When he grows up, he says, he wants to be a fashion designer. He likes to play with dolls; every now and then he brings one to school. Last week his doll came home broken: his dad doesn't like that his son isn't as macho as he wants, so he broke it. Today G. came to school wearing a "dress" he made himself. He was happy. He twirled around, showing how the skirt got wider as he spun. Every now and then, a classmate would come up laughing and tease him: "What are you doing dressed as a woman?" they'd say. And G., who is so beautiful and special, would answer them without noticing their bad vibes: "Doesn't it look great on me? Do you want me to tell you how I made it?" I was telling my friend Fer about G. He said something that stayed with me for the rest of the day: "Part of that experience is a memory from my childhood. I'm so glad the school lets him express himself and that the teachers respect his process." And I can't help but think that yes, we do get involved with their children: that there is nothing more beautiful and healing than accompanying them in that process of finding their desire, so that they can be a little happier in the midst of the hostile and violent world that surrounds them.

After a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) workshop where we explored everyday situations and the emotions they evoked, C approached her teachers and asked to talk. She recounted the physical and sexual abuse she had survived some time ago. At that point, we activated a lengthy and confusing bureaucratic protocol that didn't yield many results. A year later, C asked for help again; this time, she was able to clearly identify a situation of domestic violence. The system doesn't always provide answers, but C learned not to remain silent, and I understood that CSE wasn't just mandated by law, but essential so that C wouldn't grow up carrying all that baggage inside. So that she would ask for help as often as necessary. So that she would find role models at school and know that she doesn't have to endure violent situations. I also understood that my training in this area wasn't sufficient and that I needed further training to be able to implement CSE effectively. CSE doesn't just provide knowledge; it provides tools so that violence in its various forms doesn't continue to be perpetuated. C taught me all of that.

Anahí González, 4th grade teacher at a public elementary school.

Among the various activities in the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) workshop, I proposed that the students reflect on their own experiences at the Adult Education Center in order to then return to the topic of life planning. They were asked to write down any feelings or situations they wished about their journey. It was in this context that I received the following piece of writing, written by a student whom I will call "Y":
"It's Friday, July 12th. The last day of school for the week. It's 8:15 pm and we're in the classroom. The cold seeps in through the window frames that are missing their glass. The mate tea and paying attention to the teacher of… keeps us warm." I like the way he talks to us… I like that he comes over and strokes my daughter while she sleeps in the car… I like that he worries about moving her blanket so she doesn't get cold… I like that he calls me by my name… I like that he sees me, that I'm here, that he understands how hard it is for me and my classmates to keep the school going, that he notices every absence, every sad face, every bit of anger at the world that we carry here like backpacks.”

Through this and other writings, we began to address gender-related issues within the institution, specifically the right to playful and expressive spaces for parent students that is still being violated in Adult Education Centers. We also explored the interpersonal relationships we establish at school, and countless other issues that arose from their writings and their own self-reflection. This is the wonderful thing about Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE): the opportunity for them to put their experiences into words, because this allows for a different perspective and, if necessary, a deconstruction of the situation to consider other possibilities and alternatives. This is why CSE is so important in this educational modality, just as it is in any other part of the education system. That is why I continue to advocate for it.

Mariana Giorda, Social Sciences teacher and ESI workshop facilitator at the Atahualpa Yupanqui Secondary School for Young People and Adults (ESJA) No. 25, Paraná, Entre Ríos.