Skip to Content

Looking for the best info on potty training your toddler? Click here.

Parents outraged by explicit sex education lesson

Categories: Kids 8-11, Education

Some students in a Chicago school recently got more sex education than their parents would have liked. Standard sex ed classes usually include information on dating, peer pressure, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. But at Wolcott School in Thornton, Illinois, 8th grade students were asked to read aloud from a list of "frequently asked questions" which included explicit information on specific sex acts. Parents and students say this went beyond the mechanics of 'how to do it' and veered into 'how to make it good' territory.

After some of the children complained to their parents, the principal ordered the health teacher to apologize. This isn't good enough for some, who feel the teacher's lesson was voyeuristic and want him suspended or fired.

Even organizations who are pushing to get more comprehensive sex-ed programs into Illinois schools feel the lesson was too much. Jonathan Stacks, from the Illinois Campaign for Responsible Sex Education, feels the material was not age-appropriate and "way over the top." "This is really getting into the aspect of pleasure . . . and the mechanics of how to have good sex," Stacks said. "It goes way beyond what the national medical associations recommend for a comprehensive program."

The teacher claims it was all a big mistake. The handout the children were given was taken from a British web site that promotes education about AIDS and HIV prevention. Instead of choosing the material designated as "mainly for young people", he took the information from a link titled "general questions about sex."

If you give the teacher the benefit of the doubt and allow that maybe selecting that material was a mistake, you still have to contend with the fact that he did not stop the lesson when it became clear that the subject matter was inappropriate for 14 year old children. I think he should be fired. What do you think?

Recent Posts

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

ParentDish Polls

    Do You Gossip About Other People's Kids?
    Nearly 75% of you said yes; 44% gossip with close friends, while 30% limit your gossiping to "when it's relevant."

    sxc.hu

    The Science of Premature Babies
    Despite the cost and the risks, 53% of you say that medical advances in caring for micro preemies are "a miracle." Another 36% are just plain impressed by what doctors can do to save these littlest babies.

    sxc.hu

    Hollywood's Hottest Dad
    51% of you voted Hugh Jackman the Hottest Dad in Hollywood by a landslide. Wolverine edged out Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp -- and we can see why.

    Jewel Samad/Getty Images

    Best Stepdad
    How cool would it be to have Ashton Kutcher as your stepdad? Pretty cool, according to 52% of you. After all, you wouldn't have to teach him how to send a text message or use Twitter! Kutcher is pictured here in 2007 with stepdaughters Rumer and Tallulah Willis.

    Evan Agostini/Getty Images

    Who cares about IQ?
    Not ParentDish readers! 80% of you said that this 24-year-old UK mom should be allowed to keep her baby--even after social workers said she was "too stupid" to take care of her.

    Jenny Goodall, Daily Mail / ZUMA Press

    Enough With the Gosselins!
    Will you buy Kate Gosselin's cookbook? 64% of you say no -- and you're also tired of hearing about her.

    David Livingston, Getty Images

    Best Babysitters
    31% of you said that you would leave your kids with Ellen and Portia, while only 9% would trust Oprah to babysit. Interesting, since none of the celebs are parents.

    Kevin Winter, Getty Images

    Fav Celeb Mom
    Jennifer Garner is your favorite celebrity mom, beating out Angelina Jolie and First Lady Michelle Obama with 37% of the vote.

    Kris Connor, Getty Images

    Bad Mommy
    Dina Lohan and Courtney Love tied for worst celebrity mom, each with 32% of your votes. Only 3% of you said that Kate Moss was a bad mom, though, which says a lot -- mostly what a mess Dina Lohan is.

    Michael Buckner, Getty Images

    Unimpressed
    Only 8% of you think Bristol Palin a better parent than baby daddy Levi. [Get the full story]

    Getty

Features

Recent Comments