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Dear Friend, The NC State Board of Education is in the process of revising the standards for health education. Standards are the educational goals required to be achieved in each course. This process will impact what your children are or are not taught in public school sex ed classes for the next decade. North Carolina law requires North Carolina schools to teach abstinence-based sex education. That means that sex education must teach abstinence until marriage as an expected standard of behavior. It also must teach the real risks—physical, emotional and psychological—of engaging in sexual activity outside of marriage. The other approach to teaching sex education, promoted by Planned Parenthood, is called “Comprehensive Sex Education” which ignores the emotional and psychological consequences of sexual activity outside of marriage and focuses only on how to avoid pregnancy and STDs. When we got the Standards first draft, we discovered that the draft did not follow the law requiring that sexual abstinence outside of marriage be taught as an expected standard of behavior. Not only did the first draft ignore the teaching of sexual abstinence until marriage as an expected standard of behavior, the first draft didn't even mention marriage at all! When we caught wind of this, we contacted you late last year and asked you to submit feedback to the draft (which, thankfully, many of you did). While we were assured an upcoming second draft would address our concerns, the recently released second draft is no better than the first (and in some cases, worse). We could use your help again. It will take about 5 minutes. We need individuals who are able to submit feedback to this second draft (we've provided directions below). The comment period lasts until January 14th. We are calling on all concerned parents and grandparents to let their voices be heard to ensure that the Standards ultimately reflect NC law and require the teaching of abstinence-based sex education. 📗 The survey can be found by clicking here: Here are some directions on how you can submit a comment in favor of parental rights:
Standard 7.ICHR.2 - The draft does not comply with N.C. law’s requirement that the curriculum teach that the only means of avoiding “other health and emotional problems” is through sexual abstinence until marriage. Standard 7.ICHR3, Objective 7.ICHR.3.1 - In violation of the statute, there is no requirement that the instruction include rates of infection among pre-teens and teens of each known sexually transmitted disease and the effects of contracting each sexually transmitted disease. Standard 7.ICHR.3, Objective 7.ICHR.3.2 - This language ignores N.C. law that requires that information about the use of contraceptives or prophylactics shall provide accurate statistical information on their effectiveness and failure rates for preventing pregnancy and STDs in actual use and must explain clearly the difference between risk reduction and risk elimination through abstinence. Standard 8.ICHR.2, Objective 8.ICHR.2.2 - Neither the standard nor this objective requires that the instruction present reasons for remaining or becoming abstinent. Furthermore, the language discusses “delay” not avoidance. “Delay” in this standard is not defined as “sexual abstinence until marriage.” Standard 8.ICHR.3, Objective 8.ICHR.3.2 - The objective fails to include the requirement that the information on failure rates of the contraceptives and information on the difference between risk reduction and risk avoidance as required by N.C. law. Standard 8.ICHR.3, Objective 8.ICHR.3.3 - The objective does not define “delayed.” It should be defined as abstinence from sexual activity until marriage. Furthermore, the objectives do not state the requirement in N.C. law that receipt of information about where to obtain contraceptives and abortion referral services must be in accordance with the local board’s policy regarding parental consent. Standard 9.ICHR.1, Objective 9.ICHR.1.5 - The objective requires a discussion of consent and maintaining personal boundaries. Within the context of sexuality, teaching about consent is inconsistent with the statutory requirement of teaching sexual abstinence outside of marriage as an expected standard of behavior. The purpose of the statute is to teach children how to avoid risk, not consent to it. Standard 9.ICHR.2 - The standard fails to include the requirements of the statute that any instruction on contraceptives include failure rates for preventing STDs and pregnancy and the difference between risk reduction and risk elimination through abstinence. Standard 9.ICHR.2, Objective 9.ICHR.2.1 - The draft language violates the statute in several ways: The objective doesn’t require the teaching of sexual abstinence until marriage as an expected standard of behavior. Rather, the objective treats abstinence as an option rather than an expectation. Furthermore, this language flies in the face of the statute that requires that the curriculum provide the reasons, skills and strategies for remaining abstinent or becoming abstinent, not strategies for engaging in sex. Standard 9.ICHR.2, Objective 9.ICHR.2.4 - The draft requires that the curriculum identify local resources for STI screenings and sexual healthcare but ignores the statutory requirement that the information must be provided to students in compliance with the local board’s consent policy. Standard 9.ICHR.2, Objective 9.ICHR2.5 - The draft requires that the curriculum explain the limitations of condoms in reducing the risk of STDs but fails to include the statutory requirement that any instruction on contraceptives include failure rates for preventing STDs among adolescents and the difference between risk reduction and risk elimination through abstinence. Standard 9.ICHR.3, Objective 9.ICHR.3.3 - The objective requires the curriculum to identify trusted adults and professional resources to help those who have been sexually abused to heal physically, mentally and emotionally but does not include “parents” among the list of “trusted adults.” Nowhere in the entire draft of standards is the statutory requirement fulfilled that requires the curriculum to provide opportunities that allow for interaction between the parent or legal guardian and the student. That sure is a lot, but it may go a long way in making an impact about what our kids are taught in schools.
Sincerely, Tami Fitzgerald, |
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