I thought I was reading The Onion or something until I realized that this isn't a joke. The Kansas Board of Education is pushing for abstinence-only sex education classes.
While waiting until marriage can be a beautiful thing, let's be realistic. Most teens--even some preteens--will not wait. Considering that marriages at 15 and 16 were still common back in the 1940s, it seems ridiculous to ask teens to hold off on their feelings until they find "the one".
So what's wrong with asking teens to just use protection if they cannot wait?
"Abstinence until marriage is the best thing for young people physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually," said board member Kathy Martin, who proposed the change. "It's the best thing for society as a whole, and it's the message that schools absolutely ought to be sending."
In a perfect world, that may be the case, but it's not a reality here.
Opponents, meanwhile, say abstinence-only programs are unproven and impractical. Most districts promote abstinence but also give students information on how to protect themselves if they choose to have sex.
"We don't want our kids to have sex, but unfortunately the reality is that a lot of them are," said Sandy Hysom, health education teaching specialist for Wichita schools. "Therefore, we have to give them accurate information."
Exactly.
Of course, Kansas has a history of deciding whether something is safe to teach--like evolution, for example.
"We don't say, 'We know you're not going to fasten your seat belt or go the speed limit, so here's a road over here that you can drive on,' " said Martin, the state board member.
"My belief is, let's actually tell them not to. If we tell kids things, they will listen. We know that kids will live up or down to the expectations we give them."
Ignorance is bliss, right?
Tags: [Kansas], [sex education], [abstinence-only sex ed], [Kansas Board of Education], [Kansas wants to get rid of sex ed]
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