Should Sex Education Be Taught in Public Schools?

Sex education should be taught in public schools and, in fact, there are more parents that are in favor of sex education classes. It seems that most parents are either strongly against or strongly in favor of sex education classes, but very few parents are in the middle ground. Most students are mature enough to handle a sex education course, but sex education should not be taught by the parents alone and public schools should include sex education in their budget.

Controversies are abundant when dealing with such delicate issues, and there are many pros, and cons to sex education being taught in the public schools. Across America schools are cutting their budgets and one of the programs being left out is sex education. They don't see the value in sex education, even though researchers have found a correlation between sex education being taught by the time the child reaches puberty. Taxpayers say Reading, writing, and arithmetic are the important subjects, but I disagree sex education is just as important as the other curriculums, and should not be omitted from the schools budget. In fact, when student's can be taught the correct terms of the reproductive system, sexually transmitted diseases, and birth contraceptives rather than the "street lingo" myths surrounding intercourse can be dispelled (such as not being able to get pregnant the first time).

When a student is taught the correct terms of the reproductive system, this saves embarrassment amongst students, and teaches them only what is necessary to know based on their gender. Students may still suffer from embarrassment or get excitable by the topic matter. However, sex education is a very important subject, and should be discussed when the child is ready to have the conversation. If the child has not reached a level of maturity; this can cause for out-of-control classrooms, if students take to giggling, or making inappropriate remarks. Sex educators recommend that children 10 to 14 should have the course taught in a segregate environment. However, there are disadvantages that can cause the validity, and effectiveness of the material to be in question, and if it cannot be delivered effectively it should not be delivered at all.

Teachers are not always trained how to properly teach sex education courses, and may transgress their own beliefs or morals into the subject matter rather than stick with the facts. Many schools do not teach "abstinence only", but teach how to have intercourse safely, whereas many religious leaders and family values stress marriage before intercourse. The attitudes of parents, educators, or religious leaders in the community can cause the subject matter to vary from state-to-state, or even school-to-school. For many parents sex education is not a welcoming subject; some parents never talked to their parents about sex, therefore they do not know how to communicate with their children