There are 16 choices, 35 votes for Dalegend's debate

Should Sexual Education be taught in schools?

The question is sex education should not be taught in school.

• Sexual education is important

  I believe that sexual education should be taught in schools for a few reasons. One, I believe that it is important to teach the kids about secual education because there are so many dangerous and unpleasant situations that can evolve from sex. I believe that children should be taught the advantages and disadvantages of using condoms and other types of birth control and I also believe they should be taught about the risk of aides and the possible protections. I believe that if children are taught how to control the situation and are taught how to have safe sex then when they become teenagers and "mess around" then they can be well prepared and aware of the risks. Another reason I believe that sexual education should be up to schools to teach is because I do not feel that parents are aware enough of all the problems that could occur and all the possibilities to stop them. Also, the more children grow into teenagers the less they like listening to their parents and so if it comes from someone other than their parents then they might be more willing to listen.

  28%  Voted for by sekmhet eye of ra, Dalegend, sweetypie101, Weydon, thinking. (10 total)

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  • ElisaRose
    March 14, 2006
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    So, you would rather a school decide what your children need to know about sex? You think a school should have more rights than the parents? Why should sex ed be up to the school but going on field trips and watching certain movies require a written permission slip from the parents? If I had a child in school and they didn't ask my permission to teach them about sex ed I would be down that school so fast.
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    Weydon
    March 15, 2006
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    "So, you would rather a school decide what your children need to know about sex?" Assuming they're not making things up, sure. "You think a school should have more rights than the parents?" Er, what rights do they have "more" of than you? "Why should sex ed be up to the school but going on field trips and watching certain movies require a written permission slip from the parents?" A. Field trips involve taking the kids off school property and risk different cases of supervision, increasing (though not making LIKELY) injury, getting lost, and causing trouble. B. "Certain movies" that contain explicit violence and language (both of which I think should be a null issue for anyone over 9), which while educational to the way things are in different environments of the world, are not at all essential to the child's educational growth and understanding of the material. The same could be said of the sex scenes in any movie not about the helping students explore the nature of sex. C. If you'd prefer permission slips, I guess I don't care too much. Have fun explaining to your kid how to use a condom.
  • ElisaRose
    March 15, 2006
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    "Er, what rights do they have “more” of than you?" I didn't say they had more rights, I was asking Dalegend, or rather confirming that he thought schools should have more rights than parents. "Have fun explaining to your kid how to use a condom" I don't see how it's fun, maybe you would ;)
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    Weydon
    March 15, 2006
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    "that he thought schools should have more rights than parents." I still don't understand, what rights do you think the schools WILL have more of if they teach sex ed? It's not saying you CAN'T teach your own slant. It's the same if you wanted to add on or redirect any teachings the school made on history. "I don’t see how it’s fun, maybe you would" Haha, no I definately wouldn't--and I assume my kids (god forbid I have any ;) lol) wouldn't feel so comfortable asking me questions about it all. Therfore, I'd rather the teachers let them know all the facts, plain and simple, with a professional environment, and an open atmosphere for any questions. I'd also want to look over this material--not because I'd be worried the schools are showing boobs or something, but to make sure they're not being TOO conservative and leaving important factors out.
  • ElisaRose
    March 16, 2006
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    "what rights do you think the schools WILL have more of if they teach sex ed?" If the school were to teach sex ed without a parent's consent then that is having more rights than the parents. There is nothing wrong with sex ed so long as there is consent from the parents just like there should be consent taking them to museums or watching movies as I mentioned earlier. I don't know about you but if I ever had children and the school didn't ask my permission before teaching them about sex I would be pretty damn pissed. How would you react?
  • 
    Weydon
    March 16, 2006
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    "If the school were to teach sex ed without a parent’s consent then that is having more rights than the parents." Parents don't currently, or ever as far as I know, look over all the material and approve what's being taught. "just like there should be consent taking them to museums or watching movies as I mentioned earlier." Um..."A. Field trips involve taking the kids off school property and risk different cases of supervision, increasing (though not making LIKELY) injury, getting lost, and causing trouble. B. “Certain movies” that contain explicit violence and language (both of which I think should be a null issue for anyone over 9), which while educational to the way things are in different environments of the world, are not at all essential to the child’s educational growth and understanding of the material. The same could be said of the sex scenes in any movie not about the helping students explore the nature of sex." "I don’t know about you but if I ever had children and the school didn’t ask my permission before teaching them about sex I would be pretty damn pissed. How would you react?" I thought it was obvious that I think this is a good idea.
  • ElisaRose
    March 17, 2006
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    "Parents don’t currently, or ever as far as I know, look over all the material and approve what’s being taught." When I was in school we needed a permission slip and if that is the case now then parent's ought to speak up. If the school can teach sex ed without parental consent then they are essentially 'parenting' for you. Parents should talk with their kids about sex, sex isn't the school's concern.
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      Weydon
      March 18, 2006
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      "When I was in school we needed a permission slip and if that is the case now then parent’s ought to speak up." A permission slip for EVERYTHING? Or just for sex ed? I don't see why sex ed is so different that it needs a permission slip. There's nothing gratutitous about it. "Parents should talk with their kids about sex, sex isn’t the school’s concern." Why?
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      Kazrith
      March 25, 2006
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      in your profile it says you are 19, i, myself am 18, one years difference. when my sister, 21, went to school she didnt need a permission slip to learn sexual eduaction. i dont think we back tracked a few years.
  • Dalegend
    March 19, 2006
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    I like it. Although there are only two people debating I have atleast started something. And you both have very good points. I would like to clear somethings up however. I understand that parents might feel that it is their duty to talk to their children about sex and I am all for the "talk" that parents have with their kids. However, I believe that most parents aren't well enough informed to have a good "talk" with their children. Also, it can be very embarrassing for a child to talk to his/her parents about such things and I think that if it comes from a teacher it might make it a little better. As to the permission slips on field trips and stuff.. I am going to have to agree with Weydon. The reason they need permission slips is because you are saying that you are allowing them to take care of your child and it could be dangerous (technically). I have never heard of schools needed permission slips to teach kids about different things. If you feel that parents need to sign of allowing their children to talk about sex then it should be required for parents to sign off allowing their children to be taught evolution, creation, math, history, english. Are you saying that it is fine for teachers to have more rights than parents in some situations but not have more rights in others. Books such as "Night" (If you don't know it, which I think most people do, it is an extremely graphical book on the Holocaust) should not be taught without parents consent because it also goes against many of the parents, no violence, ideas.
  • ElisaRose
    March 19, 2006
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    *Weydon*: "A permission slip for EVERYTHING? Or just for sex ed? I don’t see why sex ed is so different that it needs a permission slip." You don't see how sex is different from, say, math or english? Why is sex not a school's concern, because I believe it is a parent's decision on when a child learns about sex, that's a parent's responsibility, NOT a schools. *Dalegend*: "If you feel that parents need to sign of allowing their children to talk about sex then it should be required for parents to sign off allowing their children to be taught evolution, creation, math, history, english." Sex is completely different, I'd rather my kids learn it from me than from a school, there is nothing wrong with sex ed, like I've said and just because I believe sex ed needs a permission slip (which isn't that big a deal) doesn't mean you need a permission slip for evolution since schools are supposed to teach you about evolution or creationism but sex is something entirely different. All I'm saying is there ought to be a permission slip to take sex ed, that's it.
  • • 
      Weydon
      March 20, 2006
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      "You don’t see how sex is different from, say, math or english? " Well, I'd be willing to argue that learning about sex is MORE important than learning about math and english after the basics (say 5th-6th grade or so). After that it gets more specialized into things we're never going to use unless we go into a career that needs them (and even then...). "Why is sex not a school’s concern, because I believe it is a parent’s decision on when a child learns about sex" That's a little circular. But I'll go ahead and ask anyway. Why do you think it's a parent's decision when a child learns about sex? While I agree there should be some sort of age restriction (perhaps more due to total incomprehension and a firm belief in cooties at that age than an inability to know that girls have woo-woos and boys have dingalings), there's no reason to get bent out of shape about things when the schools are teaching it around (a little before for OBVIOUS reasons) when kids would be ABLE to do these things.
  • ElisaRose
    March 20, 2006
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    "Why do you think it’s a parent’s decision when a child learns about sex?" Simply put, it's their child, their decision. All I'm saying is there ought to be a permission slip, I don't know what else there is to discuss about this except that I differ on the parent's rights part. I sincerely doubt it makes me circular.
  • • 
      Weydon
      March 22, 2006
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      But why THAT. Why can't you say "I don't want you teaching that James I succeeded Elizabeth I in Great Britain!!!! I didn't sign a permission slip for that!"?
  • mygeneration
    March 21, 2006
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    just a quick question. say there is a permission slip requirement, and the parent doesn't sign it. so the kid goes to study hall or the library or wherever. do you honestly think his buddies aren't going to give him the skinny afterwards? at that point, what difference does it make what the parents think? once you expose your kids to other kids, you have to accept the fact that you've lost a certain amount of control about what your kids hears and sees and is influenced by.
  • 
    Kazrith
    March 25, 2006
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    ElisaRose - the teachers do not have more rights than the parents. but i would like to state that it is _not_ the teachers who decide what is taught in schools. therefore, since the government controls the school systems, the government tells us what are kids are you learn. not to mention that the government in it self has more rights than any one person. you do not techincially learn about sexual protections until grade 8 in Canada. in grade six you learn about the stages of puberty. this is done with both males and femals in the class and therefore it can be taken as sexual eduation because girls and boys get to see cross sections of penises and uteri (could be wrong with that plural). the actual act of sex is never really taught. the protection for it is. not to mention that it is usually a nurse who comes in to inform us about all the deseases. ANCHORS (a group on sexual acts and their consquences) comes in to teach boys and girls (this is grade 10-12) how to put on a condom (this is done with a wooden penis) and teach them how quickly and how easily deseases can spread. (AIDS spreads by many things, including toothbrushes and nailclippers). if we get right down to it, in grade 12 biology we are taught about most of the humans bodily funtions, which include: circulatory system, respitory, hepatic, lymph, nervous, mesintric, and reproduction. yes, they teach us how the little sperm in its seminal juices makes its run through the uterus and into the oovi ducts. the actual acts are no taught to children, just the ways to prevent their harmful affects. besides, at 13 i knew alot of the sexual acts anyways, any kid does. but above all, abstinince is taught. it is the main message of the whole sexual education. personally, after seeing what AIDS and other deseases can do to a human, i am deffinately getting my partner and me tested before i do anything. the schools do have a lot more resources than you do for teaching sexual education
  • • 
      IvoryRose
      December 30, 2006
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      "(AIDS spreads by many things, including toothbrushes and nailclippers)"
      
      You're kidding right? No, it doesn't the virus dies pretty quickly if not in human body. It spreads through exchange of sexual liquids, blood, and rarely (very rarely) direct exchange of saliva. Though what you're saying may be somehow possible, it's so unlikely that it's hardly worth mention.
  • 
    Kazrith
    March 25, 2006
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    so elisarose, you imply that you know what you need to know to teach your child about sex. my question to you is: what are you going to say to him/her (tell me like you would tell him/her) and at what age do you intend to teach this to him/her?
  • 
    sekmhet eye of ra
    March 30, 2006
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    my parents have never talked to me about sex (i turn 20 in august, now it's too late). we've talked about drugs and alcohol. we talked about racism we've talked about everything under the sun but sex. at a bbq last summer i was having my palm read by a neighboor. upon hearing that i was "really into boys" my mother voiced a quick "no she's really not." what! am i a lesbian?! the posters on my wall mean what to you, mother? so, my mother's in denial. she thinks that i'm this goody-two shoes virgin who's waiting to be married to a good man. but i'm not alone; quite a few of my friends have similar stories. parents in denial and not speaking to their kids, or parents who simply wait to late for "the talk." i do have to give my mother credit for one thing: signing my permission slip (which had a syllabus attached to it) for a very detailed sex ed class back in 7th grade.
  • NoUseForAName
    April 3, 2006
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    Interesting debate

    I'm going to use personal experience, since it's related to all points that have been brought up. My mother didn't talk to me about sex. She signed a permission slip and allowed the school to do it for her. As a parent now, I sort of understand. It's difficult to talk to kids about some things. That doesn't excuse it, but I understand. My daughter is 11. The first time we talked about sex she was 8. It started with the developement of her body and the differences between boys and girls when they start to develope. She had a lot of questions, and I answered them all. Last year, we talked about the actual act of sex and every reprocussion (good and bad) I could think of. This year, sex education started in her school. I read the permission slip and syllibus and asked if she wanted to attend. She did. She told me afterwards that it was boring because she already knew all of the stuff they were talking about. It's sad that parents aren't willing to be open about things. Not only sex, but other uncomfortable situations. My child is fully aware that I've done drugs, and lots of different ones over the years. We've talked as extensively about that as we have sex. I would rather have the lines of communication open now, when these things are starting to come up, than wait until it's too late. I know she won't be as open with me when she's 15 as she is now. But maybe, because she knows she can ask me anything, she'll come to me before she starts having sex- so that she doesn't have to come to me and tell me she's pregnant, or worse.
  • The Blind Bandit
    June 16, 2006
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    Nouseforaname

    Wow you did all of that?you are a good parent!
  • Tarianas Last Hope
    August 22, 2006
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    face it- parents don't have a choice about the issue once their kid is in high school. either the kid is going to learn about STI's in a classroom or how "awesome" sex is from their friends and go do it themselves.
  • 
    pnktrky
    November 6, 2006
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    to sum it up... some parent wait too long and so when sex is in there minds and possibly in there actions they still havent heard anything from there parents. so they should atleast know what there getting into before they jump in incase the parents dont do it. but it would be much better and preffered if the parents did it not just because they should know this but because it makes way for important life changing conversation with your child in the future.
  • Dragon Babysitter
    December 16, 2006
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    It is Important

    I think people really do need to know the basics, protection,abortion that sort of thing. So, I think it is very important thing to know.
  • 
    ButerfliSpirit
    January 5, 2007
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    Sex ed, a definite yes!

    this is from my experience and point of view: i grew up in a house where my grandmother didnt want me to think about men and all that stuff, so i never heard of sex in the house. none. at all. think! if only she talked to me i wouldn't of done all those embarrassing things in my life before 4th grade where they showed the sex ed video. thank God by then i had friends who knew about sex from their older siblings and stuff. i probably would've been raped already or somethin. when i saw the video in school, i understood so many more things. i was more in tune with reality instead of that fantasy world my grandma was trying to set up for me in order for me not to go out and get with men. i learned a lot from those sex ed lessons. i honestly think it was too late of a time to teach and tell, but at least i was taught about it at some point.
  • 
    nikicrs
    October 31, 2007
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    Absolutely!

    Sex Ed should be taught in schools. Currently I'm writing a Persuasive speech for my Public Speaking class and this is my topic. While doing my research for this speech I am happy to report that I have found proof via a few sources that the percentage of teens having sex is down 2005 = 47% compared to 1991 = 54%. I was part of that 54% and I have to say so were most of my friends. And we didn't have appropriate sex ed in schools. Hell we thought that if you had sex while a girl was on her period she'd get pregnant, but now as an adult I know thats wrong. It's 7-14 days AFTER her period that she can get pregnant, I bet ya if more teens knew that there would have been less teenage pregnancies. Not to mention, the types of protection out there - condoms were not talked about so they weren't used. I'm so grateful that I was not one of those teenage pregnancys that occurred, but my best friend was. She had a baby at age 17 and was not ready for it. She was smart and top of her class but just not informed of the 'sex rules' [what it took to prevent pregnancy]. Basically, I'm all for it --- yes teach the kids what they need to know about sex. And it's not to replace what the parents are to teach them, it's an addition to. The parents should teach the kids, but who's to say that the parents know? That being said, if you're wondering if I have kids or even a daught - yes I do and yes I welcome professional sex ed in addition to what we're going to teach her. She's only 6 yrs old, but she knows about the female period, because she's asked. And I will continue to answer any questions she has.
  • Hardhittn63
    November 30, 2007
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    Ignorence is bliss.

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