Sex education is one of the topics that are debated by parents, educators and legislators. It should be mentioned that school districts can adopt different policies on the topics that should be familiar to students. This paper is aimed at examining the reasons why some districts are more liberal or conservative in their presentation of sex education.
This area of study is important because this research can throw light on the experiences of many students in the country. In particular, it can be useful for showing why learners may adopt different attitudes toward sexuality. Furthermore, the knowledge of this issue is important for explaining how parents, educators, and policy-makers can focus their efforts on developing sex education curriculum that can best meet the needs of learners. Overall, this issue can have profound implications for millions of students and their perception of both sexuality and gender. This is why it should not be overlooked.
I needed to use several resources to gain in-depth insight into this topic. In particular, I had to refer to websites which can give a person a better idea about the laws related to sex education in public schools. These practices are regulated primarily by state legislators. In some cases, students can attend sex education lessons, only if the consent of parents is given (National Conference of State Legislatures). Additionally, parents are able to participate in the development of the curriculum.
In some cases, sex education can be mandatory. This information had to be examined because it can help a person explain why some districts tend to liberal or conservative. Apart from that, I also focused on the surveys of teachers. The opinions of these people can be important for explaining why schools can adopt different policies on sex education.
It is possible to identify two approaches to sex education. At first, one should speak about abstinence-only policies. In this case, educators emphasize the idea that abstinence from sex is the best way of avoiding various sexually-transmitted diseases. Moreover, this approach is important for decreasing the risk of early pregnancy. In turn, it is necessary to consider comprehensive programs which imply that contraception can also be a useful tool for avoiding pregnancy or sexually-transmitted diseases.
Overall, one can say that religion is one of the factors that profoundly influence sex education policies. In particular, teachers are more likely to choose abstinence-only approach if they work in those communities where many people belong to fundamentalist religious denominations. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about the southern parts of the United States (Landry, Darroch, Singh and Higgins 262). In turn, this tendency is less widespread in other parts of the country. Thus, one can argue that the values of residents can be reflected in the design of sex education curriculum.
When I started this research, I assumed that legal environment was more important for explaining why some school districts tend to be conservative or liberal. In particular, I believed that laws allowing active participation of parents in the design of the curriculum contributed to the greater conservatism in education. Nevertheless, the survey of relevant sources demonstrated to me that this trend could better be explained by the values of people. In some cases, the discussion of sexuality is associated with shame and obscenity.
Under such circumstances, teachers tend to adopt abstinence-only policies. Additionally, in these communities, parents may insist on their active involvement in the design of the curriculum. In some, their consent can be required. For instance, this argument is applicable to schools located in Tennessee in which fundamental religious groups play an important role in the life of the society (National Conference of State Legislatures). So, the impact of religion is one of the main variables that I did not consider at the beginning. Yet, available evidence has convinced that this factor should not be overlooked.
Overall, sex education to which I was exposed tended to be more conservative, because teachers primarily focused on the risks of sexually-transmitted diseases. Additionally, they paid more attention to abstinence as the most appropriate behavior pattern. Admittedly, they mentioned the importance of contraception. However, these issues were not often stressed. On the whole, educators did not want to discuss this topic in greater detail. It is possible for me to say that this approach continues to be adopted by teachers.
On the whole, this discussion indicates that sex education policies can be shaped by various external factors. Much attention should be paid to the norms and values adopted in the society. In many cases, these norms are derived from religious beliefs of people. To a great extent, this topic can give rise to new research. For instance, it is possible to examine the factors that prompt educators and legislators adopt specific policies on sex education. Furthermore, it is possible to examine parents’ attitude towards sex education. In particular, one should determine the extent to which these people try to influence this area of education. The knowledge of these issues can be important for understanding how educators and parents can cooperate while designing educational policies.
Works Cited
Landry, David, Jacqueline Darroch, Susheela Singh and Jenny Higgins. “Factors Associated with the Content of Sex Education in U.S. Public Secondary Schools. ” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 35.6 (2003): 261-269. Web.
National Conference of State Legislatures. “State Policies on Sex Education in Schools.” NCSL. 2015. Web.