Pros And Cons Of Sex Education In Public Schools
Among the most controversial issues pertaining to the educational system, sex education may claim the top spot on the list because it has been the topic of a debate for a very long time. A number of stakeholders have been arguing whether sex education should be provided in public schools. There are a number of strong arguments in favor of sex education, and there is an equal representation of the arguments against it. This articles tackles the pros and cons of sex education in public schools.
Those who favor sex education state that it introduces the young population to the much needed timely familiarization with issues such as sexual health, reproduction, and sexuality. Most parents are embarrassed to discuss such topics with their children which renders the young adult population unaware of some of the most important issues pertaining to sexual health and sexuality. This lack of knowledge may lead to acts or behaviors which may affect the sexual health of the youth. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that young adult population is given the necessary information regarding sexual health within the time when it the most relevant. Another significant advantage of teaching sex education in public schools is raising awareness of sexually transmitted diseases among young adult population. This help the youth stay away from such diseases by using the necessary precautionary measures. Sex education also clarifies some misconceptions that prevail among the young population. For example, a proportion of young population believes that an individual cannot get pregnant in the first time which leads towards experimentation which can be harmful for health and at times fatal. Thus, sex education clarifies all such confusions and provides a clear perspective to the youth.
The arguments that go against sex education in public schools state that students may not take such an issue seriously and they may take the class recreationally. In addition to that, controlling the class while teaching such a sensitive subject may be difficult as students may make inappropriate comments. At times, sex education goes against the moral and religious beliefs of an individual which makes it highly controversial for a proportion of the population. In addition to that, teachers may not be sufficiently trained to handle such a sensitive subject and they may cause more damage than good by imparting incomplete or inaccurate knowledge.
Thus, there are both pros and cons of sex education in public schools. This remains a controversial issue and choosing one side in wake of such strong arguments remains difficult.