Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is preparing a blue print for creating awareness about ‘good touch and bad touch’ among the students studying in schools under the civic body. “We feel that the students should be made aware of the difference between good touch and bad touch right from their childhood. However, as our students are primary students with very sensitive mind, we have to introduce the same at a level when the students will be able to understand what it is all about. We have started holding talks with experts to prepare a blueprint on the way the matter will be taught to the students so that they can comprehend it easily,” said Sandipan Saha, Member Mayor in Council (Education), KMC. The understanding of ‘good touch and bad touch’ from childhood has assumed prime significance in the backdrop of instances of children being subjected to sexual abuse in schools or even in their homes often coming to the forefront. The Education department of the KMC for the last few months has held talks with different NGOs, educationists and psychologists on the subject matter”.
A large chunk of students in our schools come from the lower middle class background. Hence the parents also need to be taken into confidence before introduction of the subject in the schools. We do not want to do things in a hurry and adopt a planned approach, “ a senior official of KMC’s Education wing said. Presently, there are 263 schools under KMC with total number of students around 15000. The study of ‘good touch, bad touch’ has already been introduced in the private schools and in the state schools three pages in the Health and Physical Education book of Class VII has been designated on this aspect. The department has held some workshops with the teachers on the subject and the IT wing of the KMC is extending assistance on how this matter can be modulated digitally for better understanding of the students.