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The plan, offered by city health officials, makes King Middle School the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available to students in grades 6 through 8, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
There are no national figures on how many middle schools, where most students range in age from 11 to 13, provide such services.
"It's very rare that middle schools do this," said Divya Mohan, a spokeswoman for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care.
The Portland School Committee voted 5-2 for the measure.
Chairman John Coynie voted against it, saying he felt providing the birth control was a parental responsibility. The other no vote came from Ben Meiklejohn, who said the consent form does not clearly define the services being offered.
Opponents cited religious and health objections.
Diane Miller said she felt the plan was against religion and against God. Another opponent, Peter Doyle, said he felt it violated the rights of parents and puts students at risk of cancer because of hormones in the pill.
A supporter, Richard Verrier, said it's not enough to depend on parents to protect their children because there may be students who can't discuss things with their parents.
Condoms have been available since 2002 to King students who have parental permission to be treated at its student health centre.
When I was in school about the only good school "health care" was for was a bandaid, an excuse to skip a class or a pan to puke in. What on earth (or in the constitution) gives public schools the right to prescribe drugs for our children without parental consent? If you ask me, public schools as a whole can't do much of anything right any more, how can they be trusted with the "health" of our children?
Go ahead, justify this egregious breach of parental rights...
First of all, I didn't know that it was the government's job to provide birth-control to anyone, much less pre-pubescent minors.
Second of all, I didn't realize that my rights and obligations as a parent to take care of my kids were being abrogated by the government. Being an EMT, and having a brother who's an MD (a pediatrician, no less) and a sister who's a biology teacher, I of course know absolutely nothing about health care or the particular needs of my children. The school nurse knows better than I do, of course.
And finally, I wonder whether these schools are going to also offer pamphlets about abstinence to these same 6-8th graders to try to solve the problem of underage sex by stopping kids from having sex.
I thought there were all types of release forms parents need to sign to have someone dispense medications to children.
On further review, the article does mention a "consent form" which apparently "does not clearly define the services being offered." It doesn't matter to me, schools have no business providing that type of "health care" to our children. Do you think "School-Based Health Care" might become the next S-Chip?
First of all, I didn't know that it was the government's job to provide birth-control to anyone, much less pre-pubescent minors.
Second of all, I didn't realize that my rights and obligations as a parent to take care of my kids were being abrogated by the government. Being an EMT, and having a brother who's an MD (a pediatrician, no less) and a sister who's a biology teacher, I of course know absolutely nothing about health care or the particular needs of my children. The school nurse knows better than I do, of course.
And finally, I wonder whether these schools are going to also offer pamphlets about abstinence to these same 6-8th graders to try to solve the problem of underage sex by stopping kids from having sex.
Actually, no I don't. I already know the answer.
Yeah, you know the answer. It seems schools are becoming an arm of Planned Parenthood - one of the vilest groups on the face of the earth in my opinion - which also frames its services as "health care" and not only encourages teen sex but educates them on everything from anal sex to "rimming."
So what? What makes it the job of the government to take the place of parents... even bad parents?
Furthermore, do think that encouraging underage sex by handing out condoms and birth control pill is the "responsible" thing for a surrogate parent to do?
If you found out that a parent of one of your 14-year-old daughter's friends was giving her daughter condoms and birth control pills and letting her have sex with young boys (or worse, older boys), would you let your daughter hang out with that girl? Would you approve of that form of parenting?
If you would not approve of that form of parenting from a real parent, why would you accept it from a non-parental entity like a school?
And finally, I wonder whether these schools are going to also offer pamphlets about abstinence to these same 6-8th graders to try to solve the problem of underage sex by stopping kids from having sex.
or telling the horny little boys that the age of consent in the State of Maine is 16 and having sex before that is a crime.
Are they going to dispense or adminster the drugs to the girls ? I know that some kids have been known to abuse perscription medicines before . Taking improper doses of prescribed ADHD medicines is a recreation in some circles.
I just find this hard to believe . There were so many times when my daughter was in school I had to sign waivers for one activity or another. If I were in this district my daughter would be signing into a private school today.
So what? What makes it the job of the government to take the place of parents... even bad parents?
Furthermore, do think that encouraging underage sex by handing out condoms and birth control pill is the "responsible" thing for a surrogate parent to do?
If you found out that a parent of one of your 14-year-old daughter's friends was giving her daughter condoms and birth control pills and letting her have sex with young boys (or worse, older boys), would you let your daughter hang out with that girl? Would you approve of that form of parenting?
If you would not approve of that form of parenting from a real parent, why would you accept it from a non-parental entity like a school?
Elliot
The assumption being made in all of this is that there is a better alternative to cutting down on teen pregnancy; these idealistic notions about some morality or parental rights is filling up abortion clinics and then the same morality policeman rails against the teen when they want and need an abortion. Give us a break, your way has failed.
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