The trouble with sexuality education in Nepal is too much of it goes untaught

A stark disparity exists in Nepal between official commitments to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and the actual learning experiences of students. While the government pledged years ago to introduce CSE from grade one, the reality in classrooms remains far from comprehensive, with much of the crucial content either inadequately taught or entirely absent.

Students like Seema from Bhajang district faced harsh reactions when seeking information about their bodies, while others, like Sauriya Budhathoki in Kathmandu, were fortunate to have a teacher who went beyond the curriculum. However, even Sauriya noted that the subject disappeared in later grades, highlighting the inconsistent and often luck-dependent nature of sexuality education in Nepal.

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Periods and bodily changes, should have been explained to us much earlier, rather from grade 5 or 6.

Although CSE content is integrated into the curriculum up to grade 8, it often appears in only one or two chapters, providing only a superficial understanding. For grades 9 and 10, when adolescents are navigating significant developmental changes, Health, Physical Education, which can cover these topics, remains an optional subject. Teachers and experts note that CSE's implementation heavily relies on international organizations and is frequently skipped in classrooms.

While age-appropriate topics like personal hygiene and safety are introduced in early grades, and specific units on sexual and reproductive health appear in grade 6, the curriculum's depth is insufficient. The inclusion of LGBTQI+ content in grade 7 and discussions on puberty in grade 8 are steps forward, but the overall delivery and scope fall short of providing students with the complete knowledge they need.

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Grade 6 has a dedicated unit on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Grade 7 introduced LGBTQI+ content. Grade 8 covers puberty, menstr