How can the courses be improved? Is enough information being taught? Is USEFUL information being taught? How would you change it?

I personally think that it needs to be extremely informative in all areas such as: how do you get pregnant, contraception, STI's, rape, how to say "no", and male/female anatomy. These kids need to know everything and many of the topics should start at a pretty early age especially, rape(bad touching) and how to say "no." Overall, it is important to make explicit information available in schools as part of an ongoing commitment to sex education, as many children seem to receive bad or downright wrong information from schoolmates and friends. Most girls and boys don't know that they can receive free contraception from their GP or Family Planning Association. I would also like to see more parents making an effort with sex education. Maybe they could speak about loving relationships and leave the other stuff to the sex education teacher. As you can see, I am 100% for sex education.

I'm fairly radical on this subject, so you've been warned.

First thing--I'd START teaching it at age 10. Most kids that age have a pretty good concept of what goes on anyway, and I've known of pregnant 11 and 12 year olds.

It doesn't have to be detailed at that age, but it does need to be correct, at least about how the reproductive cycle works.

Start teaching sex ed EVERY year after that. Add more details, and let students get more involved in the conversations. If talking about sex is less taboo, more kids might be willing to TALK about it with adults.

Make SURE that any sex ed teachers are comfortable with the subject (not trying to skirt over it to just get it done because it has to be in the curriculum) and are willing to discuss any sort of question or idea brought up by students, and NOT ridicule them for bringing up things that they've "heard"

We never had to do the flour sack baby thing or anything like it, but I do think that's a good idea--but for a whole semester, not just the few weeks that most kids have to do it.

Hammer in the financial side of things. I'm not sure HOW, but teaching kids how much babies and diseases COST is a good point to bring up (it never was in the classes I had)

The BIGGEST thing I would change is the empasis on abstinence. Abstinence is great and all---but I know relatively few people in my small town that made it through high school without at least trying some sex acts--which, as we know, can still give you diseases.

My 2 pennies, anyway.

I'll tell you how my daughter's school does it. And I love it!!

Sex ed starts the last quarter of 7th grade (yeah, should be younger in my opinion), they take sex ed the entire last quarter and must pass a sex ed test with a 75% to move up to 8th grade. Yes, some children have all A's, those children pass, it's the lower end students that have trouble.

Each year the sex ed goes a little more indepth and many more details are given. i.e. in 7th grade they learned about STDs as well as HIV/AIDS (which included some disturbing visuals). Each year the child must pass the test with a minimum of a 75%, to move on.

**EDIT** They go into costs of child rearing, illnesses, possible dangers with teen pregnancy, effects of single parenting on the parent as well as the child, etc. It is an extremely in depth program.

Now, living in the bible belt as I do, we have some parents who oppose this. In this case, they must get the curriculum from the school and teach it at home. The children still have to take the test and pass, but they learn at home.

In our middle school we only had one 8th grader pregnant last year and in the high school (15,00 + students) we only had 4 pregnant teens.

Our system also has the gateway program where they must pass a test in order to graduate. This test is given beginning in the 8th grade. Rae took the gateway yesterday (her first day of school) and already passed it.

I can promise you that I will not leave this school system until my youngest (5) is graduated and gone.

Love it J_9!!

But health care is free right?