Introduction
One of the most, if not the most, important courses a student may take in middle/high school is sex education. No matter the sexual preference (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, queer) or background of a person, sex education applies to everyone and is important for everyone to understand. According to Ann and Ronald Moglia (2009) sex education is defined as, "how human sexuality is perceived and conceptualized" (p. 159). In other words, sex education is the teaching of sexual ideas and concepts. The main goals of sex education are to inform and protect students against sexual activities and the results they may cause, such as child reproduction and sexual transmitted diseases (STDs). Even though sex education is one of the …show more content…
As cities started developing and larger groups of people started living within the cities, it brought more concern with the temptations of young adults needing to be aware of sex education. According to Cornblatt, the National Education Association discussed the subject in 1892, passing a resolution for "moral education in the schools". In 1913, Chicago was the first major city to teach sex education in high school. Since the early1900s, sex education has evolved immensely. Sex education has developed new concepts and inventions to aid students with sexual content, especially through the 1960s-2000s. According to the Advocates for Youth organization 's timeline, History of Sex Education, sex education was admired and promoted as a necessity in school curriculum. Since the creation of sex education, the main focus was on contraception (condoms and birth control), but would begin to change in the early sixties. With overwhelming concerns and beliefs about sex education, multiple groups began to oppose the course being taught in schools. Groups such as John Birch Society, Christian Crusade, and Parents Opposed to Sex and Sensitivity Education all joined in the movement. With groups beginning to oppose, the federal government began to create multiple pieces of legislations to appease the opinionated …show more content…
In 2008, twenty-five states declined federal funding for abstinence-only education because the influence on students were minimal to no influence at all. While the rise and decline of abstinence-only education was taking place, a controversial and questionable topic was beginning to intervene with the sex education curriculum. Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) education came into the picture. McGarry (2013) discusses the absence of LGBT in sex education courses in schools. He explains that LGBT education is an inclusive curriculum, and only a few states have the curriculum. While some states have the inclusive curriculum, eight of the fifty states prohibits the instructional teaching of the inclusive curriculum. In a survey conducted by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) with over 8,000 students, the majority of students, nearly 80%, were never taught about LGBT ideas in their sex education course (p.
One of the most, if not the most, important courses a student may take in middle/high school is sex education. No matter the sexual preference (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, queer) or background of a person, sex education applies to everyone and is important for everyone to understand. According to Ann and Ronald Moglia (2009) sex education is defined as, "how human sexuality is perceived and conceptualized" (p. 159). In other words, sex education is the teaching of sexual ideas and concepts. The main goals of sex education are to inform and protect students against sexual activities and the results they may cause, such as child reproduction and sexual transmitted diseases (STDs). Even though sex education is one of the …show more content…
As cities started developing and larger groups of people started living within the cities, it brought more concern with the temptations of young adults needing to be aware of sex education. According to Cornblatt, the National Education Association discussed the subject in 1892, passing a resolution for "moral education in the schools". In 1913, Chicago was the first major city to teach sex education in high school. Since the early1900s, sex education has evolved immensely. Sex education has developed new concepts and inventions to aid students with sexual content, especially through the 1960s-2000s. According to the Advocates for Youth organization 's timeline, History of Sex Education, sex education was admired and promoted as a necessity in school curriculum. Since the creation of sex education, the main focus was on contraception (condoms and birth control), but would begin to change in the early sixties. With overwhelming concerns and beliefs about sex education, multiple groups began to oppose the course being taught in schools. Groups such as John Birch Society, Christian Crusade, and Parents Opposed to Sex and Sensitivity Education all joined in the movement. With groups beginning to oppose, the federal government began to create multiple pieces of legislations to appease the opinionated …show more content…
In 2008, twenty-five states declined federal funding for abstinence-only education because the influence on students were minimal to no influence at all. While the rise and decline of abstinence-only education was taking place, a controversial and questionable topic was beginning to intervene with the sex education curriculum. Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) education came into the picture. McGarry (2013) discusses the absence of LGBT in sex education courses in schools. He explains that LGBT education is an inclusive curriculum, and only a few states have the curriculum. While some states have the inclusive curriculum, eight of the fifty states prohibits the instructional teaching of the inclusive curriculum. In a survey conducted by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) with over 8,000 students, the majority of students, nearly 80%, were never taught about LGBT ideas in their sex education course (p.