By Elizabeth Knott, Contributing Writer

The claws of society and the media are digging deeper and deeper into the minds of children. Kids are constantly surrounded by the exposure of sexuality and vulgar content in the media, and now in school. The non-binding standards set by a coalition of health and education groups provide detailed suggestions for what a child should know by the second, fifth, eighth, and twelfth grades. The recommendations encourage discussions about sex, bullying and building healthy relationships.

By the second grade, students should know the “proper names for body parts, including male and female anatomy.” By the fifth grade, they should learn that sexual orientation is the “romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or of a different gender.” By the end of the eighth grade, students should be able to “differentiate between gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.” They should also be able to evaluate the effectiveness of abstinence, condoms and other safer sex methods, and know how emergency contraception works.

One reason for the recommendations is that some health and education groups believe that schools are inconsistent on how they address these delicate topics.

In this society, parents are divided on how to address these certain issues with their children. Thrusting this kind of reality onto children at a young age can create conflicts between the parents and their kids. Some parents shelter their household from this kind of exposure, and if it is being forced upon them at school then the parents do not have much control anymore.

If the students are taught values in opposition to their parent’s values, then it is creating conflict within that household. It does not make sense for the school to be the voice of the parent. These delicate conversations can be quite controversial coming from a teacher. This is a discussion that should be between a parent and their child, not the parent, child and school district.

By allowing sex education to begin in such a young grade, we’re eliminating the lines of morality and inviting this future generation’s innocence to be spoiled. It is encouraging children as young as seven years old to explore sex and sexuality.   The media, and now the schools, are indoctrinating and desensitizing our future generation. By allowing public schools to implement these “minimum standards” we are welcoming moral decay.

There is no place like home for sex education.

You can find more guidelines at

http://www.futureofsexed.org/fosestandards.html.

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