Commentaries
May 05, 2008Commentaries is where Minnesota Public Radio welcomes your thoughtful opinion about current events and issues. Commentaries are like letters to the editor. To be considered for publication, your commentary should be issue-related, clearly written, and follow our Terms of Use. New insights into ongoing topics are especially welcome. Not all commentaries received are published. For topical interaction with others, visit the discussion groups.
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Funding sex education in schools
The current procedures on the books of having the local school districts decide sex education policies is obviously not working; witness the increase in teenage pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases among teens. [MPR News: Pawlenty says sex ed proposal is unacceptable]
In my local school district, a committee meeting was held several years ago to decide on various policies. The members of the committee were selected by the individual schools in the district. The topics were decided upon at the local schools and the wishes of the local groups were conveyed to the district-wide meeting. On the subject of sex education, the consensus decision of the committee was "sex education should be taught at home in a good Christian atmosphere."
Given the pregnancy rate at our local high school then and since, it is obvious that leaving the decision up to the local school districts does not work.
Barb Goldman
Saginaw, Minn.
Sex education is necessary
Governor Pawlenty's stance on the sexuality education bill that is currently passing through the state legislature is disappointing, but not surprising. His threats prevented a similar bill from being passed last year.
Sex education should be publicly funded and mandated. With STD and teenage pregnancy rates on the rise, this issue becomes ever more important. There is no reason to oppose this legislation. Comprehensive sex education has been proven to work, and around 90% of Minnesota parents are in favor of comprehensive sex education in the public schools. This form of sexual education works and is necessary to help young people make healthy decisions about their sexual lives. This legislation needs to be passed, without it we will be jeopardizing the health of thousands of students around the state.
Lindsey Wallace
Minneapolis, Minn.
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