Should Sex Education Be Offered in Public Schools Sex can be traced back as far as Adam and Eve, the first two people on this planet. Today, all age groups encounter things associated with sex, but it is not a problem that concerns everyone. The problem that has been at hand for more than thirty years is should sex education classes be offered in Public Schools? (1.Teaching Fear; 1996) The reason such debate has arose over the years is because there are many diverse opinions about the topic. Children are now faced with problems at a much earlier age than years passed. There must be a way to reach the children before they are in such need of help and are clueless about the devastating problems around them. Sex education is one step in the right direction, when it comes to the health of our children, and the guarantee of a solid future. Although some people disagree with the idea of sex education classes, in the public school system, the majorities seem to favor it. On the other hand, some people agree with the idea of sex education, but feel like the problem lies more in the way that it is taught, rather than being totally against the idea. Those who are against sex education in class feel as though all the classes would do is create more problems. They are uncertain about the outcome, whether or not it would cause students to be more or less likely to engage in sexual activities and intercourse.( 2.Keen, Cathy. Florida Teens Get Inadequate Sex Education; 1999) The main concerns for most people, especially parents, are what can the students learn from the classes and how can they apply it to their lives. In some cases, people feel as though new methods of teaching the subject would bring better results, such as lower t... ... middle of paper ... ...2000 file://A:OnHealthSmarterTeensLikelytoDelaySex.html 5. " Sex Education in Schools; Its Effects on Sexual Behavior." Sept. 1995. HealthFacts. Vol. 20 Issue 196. 26 Sept. 2000. 6. Dunn, Vincy. "Profile of a Sex Education Program." 1995. SchoolNurse.com. 09 Sept. 2000. 7. " Do Abstinence Only Sex Education Programs Work?" 15 July 2000 Kentucky Community College. Network-KCTCS Health Reference Center Academic. 26 Sept2000 8. Decarlo, Pamela. "Does Sex Education Work?" 7 Sept 2000. UCSF 9. " National Adolescent Reproductive Health Partnership." 1998. What the Experts Say. 16 Oct.2000 10. Woznicki, Katrina. "Some Girls Need Sex Education Earlier." 28 June 1999. 26 Sept. 2000 11. Alexander, Linda. "Sex Ed. Coalition." 26 Sept 2000 12. Weston, Louanne. "Teaching Teens to Think Before Sex." 29 April 2000. 26 Sept 2000.
Masland, Molly. “The Sex Education Debate: An Overview.” Sex Education. Ed. Kristen Bailey. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. At issue. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
Every parent gets nervous when it comes time to have the “talk” with their child. Some parents choose to just be upfront with their child, and others choose not to say anything at all but, sex education is a very important thing. Everyone should inform their children and not rely on others to do the job no matter what the situation may be.
From a young age, children are bombarded by images of the rich and the famous engaging in torrid public affairs or publicly discussing their increasingly active sex lives. No longer is sex education left to teachers and parents to explain, it is constantly in our faces at the forefront of our society. Regardless of sex education curriculums and debates about possible changes, children and teenagers are still learning everything they think there is to know about sex from very early on in their young lives. However, without responsible adults instructing them on the facts about sex, there are more likely to treat sex in a cavalier and offhanded fashion. According to Anna Quindlen’s essay Sex Ed, the responsibility of to education children about sex is evenly distributed between teachers and parents.
“Throughout the 1980’s these arguments began to lose legitimacy as the American republic reiterated its support (Fose)”. “Although this topic is highly debated, 93 percent of Americans support “sex or sexuallity” courses being taught in high school and 84 percent supports teachings in junior high (Fose)”. More people requested sex education because of the AIDs epidemic. The AIDs epidemic cau...
Sex education in the United States has been an bi-polar opinionated topic within the education system. It's use and curriculum are affected by many forces such as politics, public health concerns, and religious affiliation to name just a few. There has though been clearly documented need for publics support for sex education programs in schools. What is often unknown, is Sex education was been introduced into the education systems as early as 1912. At this time the National Education Association requested for teachers to be trained in sexuality education. In the 1940s the United States Health Services supported Sex education programs in the school systems saying there was an urgent need for awareness. Though it wasn’t till 1955 that the American Medical Association in union with National Education Association published five pamphlets which were to be used for sex education in schools. Although even with the support of teachers and public health officials the use and implementation of sex education programs in school were heavily debated by many.
Sex education in public schools is the first of the four topics I will be discussing. This topic was a no brainer for me to choose, due to the fact that I grew up in the public and private school systems, and am able to connect my personal experiences with the opinions I hold today. Although sex education was not very prominent throughout my educational experience, I believe all students would greatly benefit from the knowledge one can acquire through a diverse sexual education experience. My first experience with sex education came in sixth grade (I’m 22), and unfortunately is the only experience I’ve had, while in the public school system. Although I cannot recall this event in its entirety, I can still remember the minor details.
Sex education is an informational class that teaches human anatomy and puberty, protection options for those who decide to have sex, and the basics of STD’s. In Arizona, sex education is optional; schools do not have to teach this class if not wanted. If schools decide to have sex education in the health class curriculum, it is usually taught to students anywhere from fifth to eighth grade. Very few schools offer sex education and according to the Senate Bill 1309 “The Parents Bill of Rights”, parents are required to sign a permission slip before their child attends the class (Innes). Most parents are opposed to sex education, because they want to be the person to talk to their child about sex. A problem with this opin...
Some of the American public believe that sex education should be taught at home by the children's parents. They feel that sex education programs in schools do not put an emphasis on abstinence and encourages children to have sexual intercourse.
In the United States, there is a rising problem that is not going anywhere anytime soon, that is if we, as citizens, don 't change it. This problem is causing billions of dollars and people 's futures all because schools would rather teach ignorance than the truth. What’s the problem? Sex education. Although sex education may not seem like a rising conflict, it is actually one of the top controversial topics in our country regarding education. According to Brigid McKeon, “Each year, U.S. teens experience as many as 850,000 pregnancies, and youth under age 25 experience about 9.1 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs)” (McKeon). This number is so unbelievable to any sane person, but somehow schools still won 't take the initiative to teach realistic sex education. Sex education can be taught in two different procedures- comprehensive or abstinence only. The difference between the two methods is that comprehensive sex education teaches abstinence as a secondary choice, so that teens who decide not to wait are well educated on how to keep themselves protected. Comprehensive sex education should be required in every single public school because it is the most effective method on how to keep teenagers well informed and prepared.
Why should comprehensive sex education be allowed in schools? Should teens be exposed to comprehensive sex education? Sex education should be taught in school because it give children stable and accurate information , it informs them of the danger and diseases associated with sex, and it teaches them about safe sex options.
Throughout our lives mankind has grown to understand sexual intercourse is a natural part of our existence. However, we ask ourselves what would be an appropriate age to acquire this knowledge. In more recent times teenagers are becoming sexually active and find themselves in situations where they have sexual intercourse at school. As a result of this, there has been an alarming increase in teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Research has shown some schools are teaching sex education in their classrooms as a part of instruction even though it’s not part of their curriculum. This is a very controversial matter and with it containing such delicate issues there are many pros and cons for sex education to be taught in schools. Researchers have observed that these pros and cons fall into the category of:
When surveyed randomly, 89% of parents stated that they prefer a comprehensive sex education program for their children, citing the importance of learning the consequences of their [the children’s’] actions, the importance of providing complete information, and the inevitability of adolescent sex regardless of accurate or incomplete information (California Department of Education, Frequently Asked Questions, 2016). While it may seem cynical to think that “kids will have sex anyway,” this thought process provides for an appropriate amount of planning for the sex education courses that will educate and prepare the teens/adolescents for any surprise situations. By conducting this survey and gathering this data, we recognize that opinions are changing, so should our sex education curriculum. According to a study conducted by C. Collins, M.P.P, parents typically believe that their children need “basic information about sex and sexual self protection “ (Collins, 2002). By providing these classes in grade school and upward, we are empowering children to make safe choices for
Overall, sex is supposed to be responsible, which means that it must be safe for the person as well as his or her partner, and it assumes knowledge. Society has to provide classes in sexual education in order to not force adolescents to gain this knowledge on their own experience. Schools, where children spend much of their time, are the most appropriate place for children to receive information about sex, relationships, and sexually transmitted infections. Consequently, children and adolescents who have sex education classes know more about sexuality, and their knowledge is more reliable.
The long debated issue of teaching abstinence or contraception awareness is an inevitable topic that has and will continue to linger in school board meeting rooms for years and years to come. Parents are not talking to their children about sex because some deem it as awkward or uncalled for, leaving it to the schools to teach the little education they have. “This take on sex education is known among educators as the "abstinence-only approach," in which totally refraining fr...
First of all, the main reason children have sex prematurely is because they are curious. Students lack knowledge about sex because they haven’t been taught about it, however, when children know the consequences behind their actions and the risks they are taking they less likely to want to have sex. If we take the time to show kids what it is like to take care of a child as a teenager or show them AIDS victims; they may be much less likely to want to indulge in sexual activities. Sex education probably can’t prevent teenage sex, but it can ensure students have the knowledge they need so they’ll be aware of what they are getting themselves into.