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RE: How About Different Approaches
I think the current approach to SEX ED is just fine. I mean the Human society has survived for the last 10 thousand years without fail, so why not now?
RE: How About Different Approaches
Our school system had a program called L.A.M.O., which despite the way the acronym sounds, was actually very good while it lasted. L.A.M.O. stood for “Learning About Myself and Others” which was a euphemistic way of not saying “Sex Ed”. Eventually funding ran out or something and that was the end of that. I tried to find a link to it, but it only seems to show up in a few local random blogs.
The completely voluntary program ran evenings two nights a week for several weeks starting with first grade and ending (with the good stuff) in fifth grade. In first grade you were basically taught what a mammal was, and what the differences were, etc. This continued each year gradually building up to talking about penises and vaginas in fifth grade (amongst other important things), all in a very mature and informative way. At least one parent was required to attend the class with their child. I thought the way that it sort of “snuck up” on the children gradually over the years was very well presented, and was an effective way to eventually talk about something that isn’t always easy to approach all at once.
The downside of programs like this is that, because they are completely voluntary, only the parents who care enough to want to educate their child in the first place wind up participating, so the effect on societal and health issues such as teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases is minimized.
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How About Different Approaches
You ask several direct questions which are very good. I'd like to add a small twist - what approach to abstaining is most effective?
As kids get older, one assumes they have a greater sense of responsibility from their increased life experience. It may be easier to teach older kids about sex and abstinence through the approach of "how your life changes with kids". On the flip side, smaller children will not appreciate this same approach. There is only so much reason you can really work through with a smaller child. Is making sex something to partially fear effective by highlighting all the things that go bad in terms of STDs, etc?
We have several teachers on this forum. What sort of guidelines do your respective school systems impose on the side of instruction through school? Is it a state-mandated course? Or was that a determination of the administration and PTAs?
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