Reflection task on lecture 4

Anel Serikbayeva

Think back to when you were an adolescent (12-16). Were you aware of differences in patterns of
growth among your peers? How did you handle any concerns you had? Who really helped you at that
time: teachers, parents, friends, books, tv programs? Suggest what school could do to improve policy
about sexual education.

I will start with the fact that in adolescence, namely from the age of 11-12, I studied at Ktl (Kazakh-
Turkish lyceum), that is, boys and girls studied separately at this school.And in addition, I was the
youngest in my class, my classmates were older than me by 1 and 1.5 years. My classmates were my
entourage, as I spent a lot of time with them.

And this difference of 1-1.5 years was clearly visible, for example: my classmates' figures began to
change, as the amount of fatty tissue deposited in the buttocks, thighs and breasts began to increase,
and hair also began to grow in different parts of the body and their period of cycles began.

But I understood that soon a lot of things would start to change for me, too, that is, I did not consider
myself in some sense backward from other girls, because I understood that everyone's development is
different and the age difference also matters. To understand this, my mother helped me, that is, she said
that this is normal and soon I will also begin to change and to some extent prepared me for this. And by
the time I was 13-14 years old, I was no different physically from my classmates.

I believe that children will feel more informed, and will also make more informed decisions and will have
healthier results if schools start explaining and talking about sex education. For example, when I was in
grades 10-11, gynecologists and various experts started coming to our school and started talking about
it. After all, to some extent it is right to warn teenagers, otherwise they may make mistakes.