Link: https://www.associatedcontent.com/article/187700/the_controversy_of_sex_education_in.html
Are you the type of parent that believe sex education should be done by the parents at home or do you believe it should only be taught in school? Maybe you believe sex education should be taught in both the home and school, but just how far should it go. It seems that there are so many different ways and methods to teach sex education and that brings up much controversy. Should you teach abstinance, or "safe" sex by use of condoms, and now throwing in the teaching our children about the homosexual lifestyle, should this be. What age do you deem it necessary that your child begin learning about sex?
Sex education in the school began prior to the second world war primarialy using proper hygine as the base and slowly evolve in the 50's and 60's to using description of plant and animal reproduction organs. However, because sex education was about reproduction it quickly became covered in Biology classes instead of seperate classes. By the time the 70's rolled around sex education began to change again. Many believe this is because of the widely changing behaviors of the 60's. Durring the 80's sex education began to grow as well as did the feminist movement, which brought about changes in teaching the womans role having to do with intercourse, however only really covered puberty and human reproduction. In the late 80's and early 90's sexual education began to include using condoms and teaching about using condoms. Now lets take a look at where sex education is going to now.
Sex Education In 2000-2007:
Actuallly in the late 90's educators and health care professionals decided that it was not helping the pregnacy rate by just teaching puberty and reproduction and compensated by teaching about STD's and how using a condom would be the best way to have "safe" sex and that it would reduce the risk of sexually transmitted disease and would also reduce the risk of unwanted pregnacy. As the years have gone by there has been more and more concern as to the pregnacy rate and the spread of sexually transmited disease, and many people have requested that there be a way to teach abstinance. Now here is where a big problem has come about. In teaching abstinance many believe that there has been a neglect of teaching our children about sexually transmitted disease. Many of the abstinance programs have neglected in speaking about any contraceptives except to say that they dont work like they were once assumed to. There have been many parents that think this is not enough to teach our children. Some of these parents have formed groups to rally and petition for more to be done in the way of teaching children; not only about abstinance, but about the risks of making a choice of having intercourse, STD's and contraceptives.
The "Ideal" sex education course
When parents and healthcare providers were asked about what the ideal sex education course would cover this is what the results:
A course that is focused on reducing specific risky behaviours
A Basis in theories which explain what influences peoples sexual choices and behaviour
A clear and continuously reinforced message about sexual behaviour and risk reduction
One that provides accurate information about the risks associated with sexual activity, about contraception and birth control, and about methods of avoiding or deferring intercourse
Dealing with peer and other social pressures on young people
Providing opportunities to practise communication, negotiation and assertion skills
Uses a variety of approaches to teaching and learning that involve and engage young people and help them to personalise the information
Uses approaches to teaching and learning which are appropriate to young people's age, experience and cultural background
Is provided by people who believe in what they are saying and have access to support in the form of training or consultation with other sex educators.
QUESTION: Why teach these values instead of just going along the path that we have been going for years?
ANSWER: Statistics have shown that children are becoming sexually oriented at younger ages and not practicing "safe" sex.
Now many are questioning just how effective abstinance only education in working. Do our children know how to "propely" use contraceptives, or are they "properly' taught about STD's. Now the quesiton that arises is are we as parents teaching our children what they need to be taught or are we relying on our schools to teach them.
The biggest controversy
s this where we should stop or should we delve into teaching our children about the different aspects of the "alternative" lifestyle. Whether you believe that a child is born with genes stating their sexual orientation or you believe that a warped society is what bring our young into experimenting with alternative sexual preferences, is school the place to teach our children how to "tell" if they are heterosexual, bisexual, gay, or lesbians. There have been some sex education teachers that have requested that children in their class taste flavored condoms. When the school board was confronted about this they stood by their teacher and said that it was just an act to help decensatize the children on the use of condoms.
There are some activist groups that are now trying to pass a "new" sex education course. In this course it will teach the signs that your child might be gay or lesbian, it will also encourage your child to "experiment" with these activities. If this is passed they will give the parent an "opt out" clause making it possible that they can keep their children from being made to attend the class. How far do we let the schools go in teaching our children about sex. There have already been steps taken to teach our children about alternate lifestyles, and some of these steps are even in elementary schools. Are you aware what your children are reading?