Did I hear before that JoCo has lower pregnancy rates than Wake Co - and Wake goes beyond abstinence? NC Lawmaker Wants To Stop Abstinence-Only Teaching http://www.nbc17.com/midatlantic/ncn/news.apx.-content-articles-NCN-2008-04-30-0002.html Currently State law allows school districts to expand sex education beyond the abstinence-only approach, with public hearings. What is wrong with that? Then the public has a say... in what their kids are being taught... they're OUR kids. Geesh.
Cleo, Not sure if a direct comparison is doable between Wake and JoCo in many areas, especially like this. In my mind (and I could be completely wrong) there demographics are not quite the same, and a simple comparison may not be as accurate as one would like. I have no faith that abstinence only education works. And, based on some of the behaviors I've seen exhibited at some of the schools in the area, quite a few kids either haven't "heard" or don't listen. Abstinence only seems to work out for sex about as good as just saying no did for drugs. Granted, I believe that the family is the best provider of information for teaching values driven character education. However, I do not object to science based education, either. For our children, we taught more than just saying no.
Silly lady. Don't you know that parents have no idea how to raise children. Only the state run education system knows what's best for children.
That's the problem I have with it...it should be THE PARENTS choice on what to tell their kids, not the gov. IMO, ANY sex ed should be voluntary at the PARENTS discretion.
You're right, big diff between Wake and JoCo. I do like the option of the public hearing, though. What I didn't like about this short article, was the part where Glazier said some of the programs teach that condoms usually fail to protect against HIV or pregnancy and he had issue with that? It is a true statement, is it not? Condoms are NOT 100% effective against HIV or pregnancy. NO method is 100% except abstinence, it is worth mentioning but yeah, in this day and age I would not bank on it as the only education kids are given.
Exactly, I understand there are folks out there that are so hands off in parenting that they merely provide their kids with bed & board... but not all of us are like that and do not need the govt telling us how to raise our kids. I plan on teaching my daughters abstinence AND Kung Fu. What more will they need? /joke
In VA, it was voluntary at the Parent's discretion. A class was offered as part of the Health Class but every parent had to sign whether or not they wanted their children participating.
As a parent, I agree completely. As a taxpayer, what about the cost to society that you and I pay for those parents who do NOT teach? Somehow, we end up subsidizing a parent's choice to not teach.
my 8th grade sex ed class taught me nothing more than the general physicality, and to fear sex like a coming plague. i wasn't with JoCo schools for highschool, but from what i was told in the class that is all that the curriculum allowed. I've heard statistics quoted that say that students taught only abstinence have lower rates of sex, at higher rates of pregnancy, and students taught safe sex have higher rates of sex at lower rates of pregnancy. I think abstinence+ would bridge this gap quite a bit? And fear of sex isn't something that should be on the curriculum.
Indeed we will. On the other hand, if we were to teach safe sex, it would not cut the rate of teenage pregnancies and STD's to zero. It's going to happen to some degree anyway. I'm for whichever one keeps the gov outta my family business.
The thing that kept me on the straight and narrow as a high school student, was the absolute certainty that my parents would KILL me if I showed up pregnant. :shock: They can throw good money after bad on these programs, but it doesn't amount to a hill of beans. It's up to the parents to instill values in kids or at least a healthy fear of the consequences. Are there still going to be some teenaged pregnancies?...............without a doubt. But some good old-fashioned dicipline and knowing where you teenagers are after school and on the weekends is a good start. Let's stop trying to be the "cool" parent and be the responsible one and monitor what your kids are up to. My son is going to hate me when he's a teen, but we will just have to survive, because I will limit his opportunity to get into trouble as much as I can.
Like I said before in another thread... I'm still scared of my daddy! I just don't want to see that disappointing look.
I agree with this. I've already started asking questions and giving information to my son. He's probably young to some peoples standards for this, but I want to be the one who he comes too when he needs answers. Unfortunately not all parents are that concerned, have the time or are naive enough to believe "not my child." Therefore, I agree with having classes taught in the schools. They need to know something even if it's just the basics.
Can you ensure that your family won't utilize the government for consequences arising from the behavior? If so, have at it. If not, and your children "have at it" and produce progeny and depend on the state for a handout, then I have an issue. Can't have it both ways, folks. KDC, Understand the shame that your parents would have made you feel. Some of us have been there, done that. Guess what? We survived. Some of us flourished, in spite of the odds. And, having counseled a number of young persons who find themselves in the situation, it wasn't the end of the world.
