New Delhi, Emphasising that women’s safety must begin with the way society shapes the attitudes of children, government officer Ashwani Kumar on Saturday said schools can play a major role in teaching boys the values of respect, dignity, equality and consent from an early age.
“Women’s safety begins much before a situation reaches the police or the justice system. It begins with the values we teach our children at home and in school. “This generation does not simply accept everything that is handed down to it. Young people ask questions, challenge stereotypes and form their own views. “Government can create policies, institutions and programmes. Technology can take solutions to millions of people. But storytelling can enter homes and reach people at an emotional level.
Kumar, who serves as Secretary in the Assam government’s Information Technology Department and as Director at the Directorate of Information Technology, Electronics and Communication , said laws, policing and institutions are necessary for ensuring safety, but lasting change requires society to address attitudes and behaviour at their roots. When boys learn from their school years that respecting women is a basic human value, we create a generation that is more sensitive, responsible and respectful,” Kumar said. Referring to younger generations, Kumar said Gen Z and Gen Alpha are growing up in a world where they are exposed to ideas and information much earlier than previous generations and are also more willing to question traditional assumptions. That gives schools and families an important opportunity to engage with them early on issues such as equality, dignity, empathy and respect,” he said. Kumar said the objective should not merely be to teach girls how to protect themselves, but also to create an environment in which boys grow up understanding their own responsibility in building a safer society. Modern School Principal Dr Vijay Datta said educational institutions provide an important environment where children learn how to interact with others and develop attitudes that often remain with them throughout their lives. Social change becomes stronger when systems, technology and stories work towards the same purpose,” he said.
