NYS Considering Sex Ed For All Grades

NEW YORK — Sex education is currently not required to be taught in New York public schools. That could change if bills in Albany make it through both houses and are signed by the governor.

The Senate version of the bill — S4844 — said the purpose of the legislation is to provide students — in grades from kindergarten to 12th — with a comprehensive education about sexuality that is age-appropriate, medically accurate and inclusive of all students.

Sponsored by Sen. Jen Metzger, a Democrat whose 42nd Senate District covers all of Sullivan County and parts of Delaware, Orange and Ulster counties, the bill, in its introduction, said studies have found that sex ed instruction results in improved educational outcomes for students.

"Studies have also found that students who receive comprehensive sex ed "delay the initiation and reduce the frequency of sexual intercourse, have fewer sexual partners and practice safe sex," according to the bill.

Some school districts do offer sex ed classes, but there are no requirements for the lessons to be accurate medically or gender- or sexual orientation-inclusive, the Journal News said.

A 2012 report from the New York Civil Liberties Union that looked at 82 public school districts around the state discovered glaring inaccuracies in sex ed curriculum at that time, Public School Review said.

There were incomplete lessons on human anatomy and reproduction, and the Buffalo school district, for example, was using textbooks that were restricted to abstinence only. An NYCLU official said that the data from the 2012 report might not still be accurate.

Opposition to the bill includes the New York State Catholic Conference which believes that it doesn't take the religious and moral beliefs of parents into consideration, the Journal News said.

However, built into the bill is a section that requires school districts to create a process for parents to opt their children out of sex education classes.

Among the organizations in favor of the legislation is the New York City chapter of the National Organization for Women.

In response to a tweet from the Guttmacher Institute saying that abstinence-only programs marginalize many young people, including ones who are already sexually active, pregnant or identify as LGBTQ, NOW said New York lawmakers should pass the bill "to ensure all of New York's youth receive quality and informative sex ed!"

Now it's your turn to weigh in on the issue. Tell us what you think in the comments. Sorry, the poll is not working this week.