The Special Ed dept at the high school had a meeting about the sex education classes that were going to be taught to our trainable mentally handicapped kids. I didn't go, but my friend who is a parent of another child in the class did go.
We have a chance to opt out of the program, thankfully. These kids mostly function at about a3-6 year old level. Kids with Down Syndrome and FASD and other disabilities.
Subjects to be taught? Sexual relations, masturbation, contraception including condoms and pills, AIDS and how you get it, the symptoms, Other STDs, Sex and dating, pregnancy, childbirth, etc...
But these kids, well at least some of them, are likely to want to try out this sexual relations part. And they lack the control or reasoning capacity to stop themselves.
Yes I know masturbation is universal, and I've covered it at home with all of them. But these things, in my opinion, are things that a parent should teach a mentally handicapped child/teen. I mean if a teacher outside of a sex ed class were to discuss sexual relations or masturbation with a child, wouldn't he/she get in trouble?
If I were to go to a neighbor's house and have a conversation with their children about sexual relations or masturbation or contraception, wouldn't I get in trouble?
Why then is it OK within a curriculum setting?
Yes, I know that some of them will learn these things anyway. But for kids with problems with impulsivity, lack of understanding of boundaries no matter how often it's taught...this is like handing them a loaded gun.
Seems like the male parents of the kids in the class (including my husband) are all for sex ed (and there are over a dozen lessons to be taught.) Probably because non of the male parents ever get asked those questions anyway. The moms are the ones who talk about sex with the kids in most families. The moms, who generally will have to deal with the repercussions, are not in favor of the classes.
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