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SANE SEX
EDUCATION
As public eclucation moves
into the clecacle
of
the seven–
ties, it is plaguecl by
one
of
the worst clilemmas
of
recen#
years-the seemingly
insoluble question
of
SEX
EDUCATION. Many ask, clo
we neecl it? Who is really
responsible
for
it? ls it work–
ing? Jusi what is the story
anyway?
by
Vern
l.
Farrow
T
HE BATTLE
over sex education in
the public schools exploded dra–
matically into nationwide prom–
inence in the late sixties, and it is still
rumbling.
No education issue in perhaps the
last thirty or forty years has stirred so
much raw hostility, division, and con–
troversy among educators and laymen
alike.
Rarely has a school program attracted
so mucb lightning. Even the great flap
over progressive education in the
thirties and early forties or the indigna–
tion over why Johnny couldn't read in
the .fifties pale into insignificance by
comparison. That was kid stuff.
No, this has been a different kind of
struggle. Unlike those earlier conflicts,
the issue of sex education is literally
loaded with emotional dynamite. The
moral and ethical overtones run pow–
erful and deep.
Therefore, it was no surprise when
opinions became so rigidly polarized
that there was hardly room for dia–
logue. The public, it seemed, had
chosen up sides. In sorne instances, com–
munication so totally broke clown as a
result of accusations, vilification, and
hostility that sorne school boards and
PTA groups literally ceased to function.
Teachers, school board members and
school superintendents were frequently
fircd or forced to resign. Whole towns
were ideologically toro apart.
Changiog Climate
But strangely, in spite of the recent
ranting and raving - in spite of all the
polemics - in spite of all the dust,
smoke and
flak,
nationwide polls now
show that better than
70%
of adults
queried approve of schools giving
courses in sex education! Apparently
there is no longer strong, concerted
resistance across the country to school
sex education programs in general. As a
matter of fact, in certain instances,
educators are in the unique situation of
having to defend such programs against
the over-expcctations of those who view
them as a means of controlling
delinquency.
And yet, even with this improving
dimate of approval, this expansion of
sex education curricula, delinquent sex
among our youngsters continues to
mount. Why? What is happening to
us?
The Sexual Revolutioo
It
goes without saying that the past
decade has witnessed a plunge in public
morality unpara lleled in modero times.
Frequently today, writers compare our
times with the degenerate and declining
Iast days of ancient Rome. And, the
comparison is a good one.
Marriages are being dissolved almost
as fast as they are contracted, especially
among teen-agers. No less than 54% of
aJI American teen-age marriages end in
divorce. That's a failure rate three times
higher than for couples who are at least
20
years old.
Infidelity is no longer scandalous but
commonplace- accepted, yes, even rec–
ommended by a growiog number of
marríage authorities.
Illegitimate births in the U. S. have
now risco above
300,000
a year. And,
sorne
244,000
of these are borne by
mothers between the ages of
15
and
24.
Probably a conservative estímate of
the number of abortioos in the U. S.
each year would be one million - and
going up.
Increasingly, colleges aod universities
are allowing totally open dormitory
privileges and providing students with
contraceptives.
At the same time, in California it is
reported that one of every two teen-age
girls goiog to the altar for marriage is
already pregnant.
As a result, the California State Sen–
ate recently approved and sent to the
Assembly a bill to allow teen-age girls
to obtain contraceptive devices and birth
control pills from doctors without
parental consent. The author of that
bill, Senator Anthony Beilenson, con–
ceded that, "We can't affcct the inci–
dence of premarital sex, no matter what