I was scrolling through my Google feed when I saw a news article there- the headline says, “Bengaluru schools find condoms, contraceptive pills, cigarettes in students’ bag.” I was curious, so I clicked on the article preview and started reading it.
On reading the article, I got to know some students who were studying in 8th-10th standard got caught with contraceptive pills, condoms, alcohol mixed in water, some amount of cash, and cell phones during a “surprise checking” in their school.
It was a bit concerning because these school-going kids who were just 13-16 years old were involved in sex, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. I thought about it for a couple of minutes, then I closed the article and eventually got busy with my work. After finishing up my chores, when I opened Twitter, I saw a few tweets on my feed about the article I read a few hours ago.
To my surprise, the school was the villain in almost all the tweets.
Questions like – “Why did the school do a ‘surprise checking’ without consent, isn’t that a violation of their rights?”, “Why did the school confiscate the contraceptive pills and condoms, now how the students will have ‘safe sex’?” “By confiscating the condoms and contraceptive pills can’t stop the students from indulging in sex, then why taking away the option for safe sex?” were raised.
A “surprise check” by the school authorities on students on campus is now a “serious issue” for some Twitterati. But the students carrying condoms, contraceptive pills, and alcohol to school at this age is somehow not at all concerning.
Whenever you visit an organization or institution, you are expected to follow some rules and a code of conduct. You cannot walk into an airport with a sharp metallic object even if it’s not a knife. In shopping malls, they check you with a metal detector and your luggage by manual checking.
Even educational institutions need occasional, if not regular, reviews as some things are not allowed on the premises.
If there was no ‘surprise checking’, this wouldn’t have come to the eyes of the parents, the authorities, and people in general. The school didn’t suspend those students but offered them counseling to understand the reason behind the activity and held a parent-teachers meeting. The parents were also unaware of this, as mentioned in the news report.
I believe neither the students nor the school authorities are at fault here. The school brought this to the attention of parents and it’s important to know why the students were involved in sex & alcohol at this young age.
“Why did the school confiscate the contraceptive pills and condoms, now how the students will have ‘safe sex’?”
Why do you think 13-16-year-old kids, who have probably just hit puberty needed to get involved in sex? Do you think these contraceptive pills and condoms are 100% safe?
Do these kids understand what they’re doing? What if something goes wrong, what about the years of mental trauma they will have to suffer after that?
Asking these questions on Twitter will get you labeled as “narrow-minded”, “patriarchial mindset”, or “average Indian guy”. Villainising the authority, selective activism on Twitter is what gets you clout and makes you “aware”. I’m not taking anyone’s side over here. It’s as stupid to blame the school authorities as much as blaming the students.
Keyboard warriors infected by so-called “woke” thoughts will attack you like anything if you ask any real question on Twitter.
I replied to one such tweet on Twitter with these questions and he replied – “the school didn’t stop them from having sex, instead confiscated the condoms, taking away their option of having safe sex”.
Another guy replied, condoms should be available in school stores, the school checking bags of students are violating the boundaries, not allowing the sale of condoms in school stores, and making students aware of their availability is a violation of boundaries.
Why do you think we have a legal age for voting? Why do you think we have a legal age to involve in sexual intercourse? How do you think the school should stop kids from having sex?
The school did offer to counsel the students who were involved, should the school follow the students everywhere and stop them from having sex?
The school can only offer guidance and education. Blaming authorities, parents, and those in charge has become a favorite pastime of keyboard warriors, and accountability is an alien concept.
I rest my case. Please comment your views in the comment section below. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.