Public school programs in human sexuality - HELP!!!

TonyD · #1 Sep 27, '04, 12:04 pm

My oldest of three sons will be a sixth grader next year in the public school system. This is the year that our children take part in the public school programs in human sexuality. These programs are based upon the secular philosophy of sexuality and based upon a world view and a set of values that basically ignore the presence and existence of God. It is a philosophy that ignores sexuality based upon mutual love and mutual responsibility. It also ignores the values of chastity. I am looking for resources that compare public school programs in human sexuality with what should be taught. I want to have information on what the problems are with the secular philosophy of teaching our children human sexuality and why we should not want our children to take part in these programs.

Thank you.

Tony

Tom · #2 Sep 27, '04, 1:00 pm

The program in your school will depend a great deal on your local school board and principal. In our school it was very well done. The principal is a devout Christian and insured it was not taught in a “humanistic” environment. It was very scientific, it lacked morals on either side. It is up to the parent to teach the moralistic points. At our school we had a doctor present the majority of the subject. To supplement the schools teaching and give the Catholic teaching there are some wonderful programs advertised on Catholic.com home page. We bought one from a couple I think it was entitled "Sex has a price", it’s been years, but it was wonderful. The school may allow you to show it to interested students and parents.

MamaGeek · #3 Sep 27, '04, 1:03 pm

Does your school allow you to opt your child out of this class? If not, you could keep your child home for the day, and teach him yourself.

**mercygate** · #4 Sep 27, '04, 1:04 pm

I believe there are some non-sectarian abstinence materials out there which might pass the scrutiny of your school.

I know a Catholic girl with a high GPA at a high-powered private school who was not offered a contract for 8th grade because her parents asked for "equal time" to give the opposing view to their mechanistic sex education program in 7th grade. At least they can't throw your kid out of public school.

Tom · #5 Sep 27, '04, 2:32 pm

Before you decide against the school curriculum you may want to find out what it entails. Biology is even taught in Catholic schools. It isn’t evil. The sexual education in most schools in my area, southern Louisiana, is fairly simple biology. It gives no moral view at all. That is up to you and I as parents. The school did NOT distribute condoms. It actually allowed and encouraged parents to attend during the class.

kage_ar · #6 Sep 27, '04, 3:14 pm

My son is in public school, this district had very basic mechanics/science, clinical, this is your body and these are the changes that puberty will bring sort of thing. Basic biology. We are right in the Bible Belt, and this public school has the "Left Behind" books in the middle school library, so, they don't have a radical agenda.

The school should allow you, as a parent, to see what will be presented BEFORE it is presented. Take a look before deciding. And, begin having talks with your son now. You should plant the seeds of knowledge that will take first root, not try to rip out the weeds after they are planted. If he already knows what is right and wrong, wrong will sound - well - wrong.

Prayers!

JMJ_Pinoy · #7 Sep 27, '04, 3:24 pm

Why not enroll your children in a good Catholic school?

Mary3 · #8 Sep 28, '04, 2:58 am

Tony,

I agree with others that you should be able to preview the curriculum, and to opt your child out if necessary. That's what I did with my children. It worked out fine, and there were no bad repercussions for the kids.

anne1 · #9 Sep 28, '04, 5:48 am

We have children in a rural public school and last year decided to opt out our middle school age son from their human sexuality program. Everyone was given the chance to do so. It was several weeks long and only one other kid besides him did not take it. We prefered to discuss things at home with him instead to give him a Catholic viewpoint. The schools program was abstinence based, but we felt like unless we would actually hear all of the class discussions we would not really know what sort of view the teacher was giving to what was being taught and what comments other kids would be giving. Our son was given other work to do and his only real concern was that he had more work to do than the other kids.

renee1258 · #10 Sep 28, '04, 5:53 am

Find out what the program is, back in my day they taught more about social issues rather then biology. Basically "you can ovulate anytime of the month, so wear a condom..." I always wished there was a teen version of NFP teaching the bilogocial concepts of the reproductive organs.

SeekerJen · #11 Sep 28, '04, 6:49 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMJ_Pinoy

Why not enroll your children in a good Catholic school?

I wish it were that easy. The Catholic school that I attended for grades 1-8 went WAY beyond basic biology for the junior high level sex ed. classes. And at that point they stopped separating the boys and girls, so during the classes the girls would be practically hiding under the desks while the boys snickered and made rude comments. I remember learning all about the pleasurable aspects of sex (at age 13), with no mention of NFP or that contraception and abortion were wrong.

Compared to that, a simple biology-based "this is what your body does during puberty and why" curriculum sounds tame.

To the original poster: talk to the teachers and ask to review the curriculum. If you're not comfortable, you always have the option of pulling your child out of just those lessons. I always had friends who sat out for those classes. I imagine they had research papers or other homework to make up the difference.

renee1258 · #12 Sep 28, '04, 7:08 am

That what really bothers me about sex ed, it is an open invitation for sexual harassment. I could tell you some horrible stories, being in middle school of what was said to by my male peers. I was taught it was normal and all young men look are graphic pictures and masturbate, like an idiot I accepted it in many of dating relationships as a teen.

JimmyV · #13 Sep 28, '04, 8:00 am

TonyD,

To a certain extent I agree with some of the other posts on this topic. Preview the curriculum, if it is teaching biological facts, fine. If not, instead of opting out, why not challenge the human sexuality course on legal grounds as a violation of your son's catholic faith. It seems separation of church and state should mean separation of church and state. Thus, the state has no right to undermine our catholic faith. Maybe Ave Maria School of Law, (Michigan or Florida or both?) can help you with legal advice.

JimmyV

Mperea75 · #14 Sep 28, '04, 8:43 am

┼JMJ

Public school stuff is based on the board of education. Something you can do is when they take part in that lesson about sexuality you could sit down and talk to the kid about what he/she has learned that day and if it is in contrary to the teachings of the Church. Then the role of parents steps in and teaches them the right teaching that will form his morallity that will carry with them for the rest of thier lives. Plus it is great time that the parents can spend with the child and develop a much closer relationship then they already have. So when they get into the "teen years" they feel can talk to thier parents about anything and that closeness remains thought thier lives wherever they may go. Oh by the way when your talk to them, about this stuf, they fmay not act like thier listening but believe me they are and kids have a tendency to know the truth when they hear it and defend the truth about something in the face of adversity.

In the city I live in a few parents and I have gotten together and got a video that was added to the ciuriculum of our Public High School. The Video is Abortion Breast Cancer link or "ABC". The video is very non-partisen to any religon. It just gives the facts (old dragnet saying I do believe hehehe). Anyway just a thought
God Bless!

TonyD · #15 Sep 28, '04, 12:43 pm

Hello all and thank you for your input. JimmyV, you have nailed what I was thinking right on the head. I have yet to read the ciriculum of the sexuality courses but do know that they are based on SIECUS - The Sex Information and Education Council of the United States. This should perk up anyones ears! SIECUS is bad stuff and it definitley violates my son's Catholic faith. I don't want to just have my son stay home that day. It's not good enough for me nor do I feel as though I need to put my children in a non-public school. I know many parents that just are not aware what this humanistic sexuality education their children will be receiving. I want to shake things up and challenge the school and the parents.

For those of you who don't know who SIECUS is and what they stand for, visit

http://www.inoohr.org/birthofsiecus.htm
http://www.inoohr.org/sexeducationaccordingtosiecu.htm

SIECUS works with the Department of Education and Health and Human Services and materials authored by the "sexologists" are distributed widely through public and private organizations. They are working toward their own agenda and it has nothing to do with including God's plan or even recognizing that He exists.

I want to persue some sort of "grass-roots" meeting for many Catholic parents that my wife and I know. How would I go about doing that?

TonyD