Jamaica Plain School Students Demand Sex Education

In order to grab the attention of officials, a task force of students in Boston made a documentary revealing where their peers get information on sex. There was one resounding answer that was repeated: pornography.

Students in Boston's Jamaica Plain Neighborhood -- which has a high teen pregnancy and Chlamydia rate -- want trained professionals to teach them about sex, CNN reports. As part of the documentary, a teen says:

"I want to fight for sex education as part of a fight for health equity."

High schoolers approached Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, who called for an official hearing. She says current teachers might have to be trained to provide sex education since Boston Public Schools recently cut the health and wellness department.

Barbara Huscher-Cohen, health education program director, tells CNN the student task force is helping the school system to see the importance of the issue:

"Now we're recognizing sexual education as part of the whole healthy child."

Sex education in Boston schools has been met with controversy in the past. The group Pure in Heart promotes chastity and says they want to make sure they're included in the discussion.

CNN education contributor Steve Perry says it's important to note that sex education classes aren't promoting sex, but rather teaching kids how to prevent pregnancy and contraction of STDs.

WATCH:

Comments

[econ1]

12:00 PM on 04/19/2011

I think the new generations are hopelessly incompetent. We did fine without formal sex education...that's why there is a new generation.

[jedwightn]

12:15 PM on 04/02/2011

I got zero sex ed at home or in school but lots of it in the back seat of a car. But, I had enough moxie to always be careful. People must be responsible for themselves rather than being surprised and saying, "Gee, how did that happen"? Duh...

[been2there]

01:46 AM on 04/01/2011

It is possible to stress chastity as the best way without either denying children complete information or outright lying to them. It is possible to discuss birth control in the context of marriage without demonizing its use outside of marriage. It is possible to call unprotected sex by those unready to become parents as the wrong thing to do without condoning, let alone endorsing, such sex.
In short, given the spectacular failure of "abstinence only" education, we should require comprehensive sex education and work at making it clear that abstinence is best.

[Theresa Govert]

09:21 PM on 03/31/2011

People want to take sex education out of the schools. They believe sex education causes promiscuity. Hey, I took algebra. I never do math.
- Elayna Booser

[beasteben]

11:43 AM on 04/01/2011

That is an amazing quote! Thank you!!!!

[econ1]

12:01 PM on 04/19/2011

Clever.

[Oregonian76]

03:42 PM on 03/31/2011

I don't see why schools can't do more to prepare students for the real world. It shouldn't just be a place where we spend our youth memorizing facts & figures that we'll never use 90% of again.

I think high school curriculum should include:
- Sex Education
- Driver's Education
- Budgeting
- Grammar, spelling, & basic writing
- Hand-eye coordination

Students can still take courses on literature or calculus or whatever they are interested in studying. But the basics ought to be required at least 1 year, and I'd vote for 2 years. If we care about our kids' future, then we ought to care about how ready for that future they really are...

[onionboy]

04:41 PM on 03/31/2011

I tend to disagree. I think high school should be a place where we prepare people to find not only their interests, but also their strengths that will lead them to their future, which might include higher education. I don't think we should be striving for the middle (ie, basic skills) in terms of a high school education.

Plenty of kids who are highly gifted at calculus (for instance) might not choose to take it on their own. We're doing them a disservice by not exposing them to it and finding out if it's a gift. Interest does not equate to talent, and strength is as legitimate a path as interest...from a professional standpoint, more legitimate.

The problem is not advanced courses taking away that time, such as calculus. If anything, we're behind in advanced mathematics and sciences. The problem is that too much schooling is focused on meeting testing goals instead of a preparatory curriculum.

I agree we need to make them ready for the future, but we should nurture a future better than just safe sex, driving, and balancing a check book. That's fine if all we're trying to do is encourage the filling of low-mid level jobs, but it won't grow our future generations or our society in the long run.

[Oregonian76]

06:37 PM on 03/31/2011

The vast majority of jobs in our world are "low-mid level", so there's an argument to be made that schools should prepare people for that. Or, more appropriate, "at least" that.

Public schools are funded by tax dollars. So other than basic skills, why should my tax dollars go to advanced education for people that A) won't need it, or B) don't want it? A lot of people "shoot for the middle" and, while we all want everyone to aim high, that's just not reality. It's sort of a moral & ethical gray area - do we force people to learn more than they care to or do we simply meet the basic needs of society?

[Acert]

12:44 AM on 04/01/2011

The fourth one should be taught in elementary school. Budgeting is just math.

[Oregonian76]

11:01 AM on 04/01/2011

I agree that elementary school is where kids should be learning the basics of grammar, spelling, writing, reading, and math.

However, budgeting is actually pretty nuanced. It's not just about dollars in versus dollars out - that's actually what has gotten so many people in trouble. A good budget takes at least a small amount of analytical skill... and we aren't teaching kids enough of that at any level. If people knew more about budgeting, something like our recent recession & mortgage crisis might not have been possible.

[PerfectTommy]

03:39 PM on 03/31/2011

Kids need some decent sex ed in school. I don't know what they're doing today in my local schools, but in my day (I'm now old enough to start saying "in my day") we got a filmstrip in grade school about puberty, and a VD cartoon in junior high, starring Jiminy Cricket, no lie. No wonder there were so many crisis pregnancies.

[SangZe]

03:27 PM on 03/31/2011

Why not ask their parents?

[Fran Jaime]

03:43 PM on 03/31/2011

Obviously their parents are less than forthcoming or they would already have talked to them about sex.

[djnealb]

03:55 PM on 03/31/2011

Would you really want to talk to YOUR parents about sex at that age? Besides, there's also the chance that the parent would just say something like "just don't have sex" and not really teach them anything.

[DrSnuggles]

12:20 PM on 03/31/2011

I was lucky enough to receive my middle and high school education in Europe. When it came to drug/sex etc. education; we were just taught the whole truth (or as much as could be fitted into the time alotted). The alcohol awareness video I saw will always stick with me (if you drink yourself silly, you're going to have a bad time; if you have a few beers, you're going to perform worse at space invaders - best not to drive). How hard is it to say;

"Sex can lead to unwanted pregnancy and disease; the only way to 100% avoid these consequences is abstinence. However, sex is something that can be pleasurable and meaningful so if you are going to do it; make sure you are protected."

?

[DMDAY44]

12:24 PM on 03/31/2011

Not hard at all, but according to at least 1 person on this board, it takes more than 12 and 1/2 hours!

[HufferDave87]

10:31 AM on 03/31/2011

Use the internet?

[stillable2think]

02:12 PM on 03/31/2011

porn, exactly!

[KIVPossum]

08:57 AM on 03/31/2011

How much time does it take to tell kids what they need to know? What makes babies, how disease spread, how to prevent babies and disease.

[VeryGrood]

09:15 AM on 03/31/2011

I would guess somewhere between 1 and 2 hours. The problem is that there is roughly 0 hours being used.

[VeryGrood]

09:22 AM on 03/31/2011

After re-reading my last post... I think I could use between 1 and 2 hours of extra English training...

[KIVPossum]

09:46 AM on 03/31/2011

Laugh - me too my friend

[JadedNY]

08:44 AM on 03/31/2011

bravo! I hope they get what they want & need. I's a little nuts that students are so aware of what they need, yet lawmakers aren't This is the state of our country.

[hagagaga]

08:44 AM on 03/31/2011

There should be no "opt out" sex ed. It should be mandatory for everybody.

[tosc]

08:22 AM on 03/31/2011

good for them!!!!!! now if they would demand the same in the areas of math, english and science.

[Daisygrl3]

08:20 AM on 03/31/2011

It is nice to see smart kids seeking knowledge that can save their lives and prevent pregnancy. The sad part is that they even have to ask or demand this..

[RedBirdy]

08:06 AM on 03/31/2011

Yes! Good for them. Comprehensive and non-judgmental sex education is vital to one's health and well being. It's essential!