Parents in San Diego, Other Parts of California Protest Sex Ed Program
Parents are protesting the San Diego Unified’s sex education program, saying that it’s too graphic, and not age appropriate for school-aged children. The curriculum has three different levels, for sixth grade, eight grade, and high school, during which students learn about gender identification, sexual decision making, condom use, abusive relationships, STDs, birth control, and other topics. The district, for their part, says the program is supported and backed by the CDC. Meanwhile, parents in Fremont have drawn up a petition to oppose a new sex ed series slated to run in their community that would teach students in grades 4-6 lessons in health, puberty, and sexuality. Various communities have struggled since the passing of California’s Healthy Youth Act, and that struggle is likely to continue as school districts grapple to follow the letter of the law while also attending to their communities’ wants and needs.
Utah Expands Its Sex Ed Curriculum
We’ve previously mentioned a bill that would broaden lessons on consent, and on the dangers of pornography. The Utah House of Representatives has since approved that bill, followed by the Senate Education Committee, which means that the state’s public school sex education curriculum will now be revised to include instruction on the harms of pornography, and on skills that will show students how to “clearly and expressly” refuse sexual advances.
Teachers in Quebec Don’t Feel Ready to Teach Sex Ed
We mentioned late last year that, after the passage of a bill making sex ed mandatory for elementary and high school students, many teachers felt ill-prepared. Now, Unions representing three-quarters of the province’s teachers have written to Premier Philippe Couillard, asking him to delay the launch of the mandatory courses, which are now set for next September.
