Education for boys in 1991 was often briefer and more focused on the "event" of puberty rather than the cycle.
In 1991, puberty education for Belgian girls was overwhelmingly focused on biological function and hygiene, with little discussion of pleasure or emotional readiness. Most girls received their first formal lesson in the 5th or 6th year of primary school (age 11–12), often segregated by gender.
A typical lesson in a Flemish Catholic school would involve: puberty sexual education for boys and girls 1991 belgium
Missing entirely from most curricula in 1991 was any discussion of:
Boys and girls who were 12 years old in 1991 are now in their late 40s. Many are parents of teenagers today. When asked about their own puberty education, memories are often negative: Education for boys in 1991 was often briefer
"The teacher put a plastic model of a penis on the desk and said, 'This is a condom, don't die.' That was it. We learned nothing about relationships." — Marc, 47, Ghent.
"When I got my first period, I thought I was bleeding internally because the nun had only described 'women's bleeding' in Latin terms. I hid in the bathroom for three hours." — Chantal, 46, Namur. Missing entirely from most curricula in 1991 was
These experiences drove the massive reforms that would come in the 2000s and 2010s. It wasn’t until 2012 that the Flemish government made comprehensive sex education mandatory starting in primary school. The French Community followed with a "Programme de formation" in 2014 that included gender equality and consent.
The generation of 12- to 15-year-olds in 1991 were the children of the 1960s and 70s. While their parents had lived through the "Sexual Revolution," Belgian society in the late 80s/early 90s was dealing with the sobering reality of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Consequently, the sexual education of 1991 featured a dual narrative: