Yes, the law has DEFINITELY gone too far! It is the PARENTS' RESPONSIBILITY to teach their children about sex/contraceptives; NOT the schools. By law, the parents are responsible for their children. What they teach their kids is their business. I believe this is an invasion of privacy! Unless parents want to give up their rights to their children, NOBODY except the parents should have any say in how they raise their children!

This is ANOTHER reason why parents should put their children in PRIVATE SCHOOLS! They may be teenagers but unless they're 18 their parents are still responsible for them.

Um, how is this new? Seattle Public School District taught us how to use a condom, and why, in the 6th grade.

I don't see anything wrong with it. If the parents had already done their job (before the teenage years) it wouldn't be anything new to the kids, and if the parents HAVE NOT done their job, then the kids need to learn this important info from somewhere. What's the big deal?

I completely agree with this. If the children have grown up believing that they should not have sex at a young age, then knowing how to use a condom will not suddenly change their minds. Also, as the above person said, if the parents have done their job then learning about condoms should be nothing new for them.

A condom is a tool. It is not pornography. Seeing a condom does not turn people on. I learned about using a condom in my school and most of the kids knew about them already.

I have no problem with the law requiring the school to teach it, as long as students have the right to refuse to attend that class. Not failing them for doing so would also be a good thing.

Of course, I homeschool my children. So their knowledge will presumably come from my husband and I....or books of our choosing....or library books. But will not be presented in a public, embarrassing, and probably mixed-gender group where discomfort will be mocked.

I have no problems with this law providing that adequate notice is provided to parents along with an opportunity to "opt out" thier children from these classes. In this modern age I feel that we need to arm our kids with every tool available and as much knowlede as possible to prepare them to make the sound decisions of adulthood. Along with good parenting, and good education amongst thier peers, kids will make good decisions regarding thier health, and develop their own good morals. Times are changing, and along with these changes, we need to look to more modern approaches in combating the problems of a new generation.

It's controversial why? Have you every heard of AIDS? Look at a calendar, it's not 1780.

Once again the police state takes control of indoctrinating the children. The literacy rate in the US was higher before mandatory public schools. Serious changes need to be made.

teaching kids about condoms uses up less of my tax dollars than running a daycare at the high school.

How absurd and insane. I have a 6 yr old in 1st grade and now I have to wonder what the HE%# is my tax money going for. It is non of the Schools, States or anybody's business teaching my child how to wear a condom. You idiots who think this is OK need to move to Russia or somewhere else. This is Socialism at its worst. Poor Benjamin Franklin is spinning in his grave. Schools were never made to be Public. I think it is time for the American public to start another 1776 and clean house from local to federal and let's start over and get back to the basics of what this Country was founded on. CRAZY CRAZY. Ther eis enough wasted money in our public schools as it is and now this. I think we have lost our minds as parents for ever allowing this.

LOL you are definitely worked up. Socialism? Who do you think pays for our police, our firefighters, our libraries, our highways, our WARS??? Why, it's the American public!! Yes, we have Socialized wars here, too! Hooray! If we didn't have public schools, we'd be back in the dark ages, like the Third World countries are today. How do you think the middle and working and lower classes could afford education if it weren't "socialized"? Let's hope you teach your 6 year old at the appropriate time (pre teen) about condoms and all the rest, and then if/when they learn about it in school, they will already know. There are some kids who won't know, believe it or not! There are some parents who hide their heads in the sand, pretend that sex doesn't exist, and somehow magically hope their kids won't get into trouble. That's what these programs are for. So.... welcome to socialized finance for police, firefighters, highways, bridges, and schools, among many other things. What would we do without them?

James, you have definitely lost your mind. I can tell you never went to school, learn how to spell. The religious right wants to destroy this country.

Like most have mentioned here, if parents had originally educated their kids in an open, non threatening style by assuring them that sex is ok, there wouldn't be much of an issue. Most high school aged kids have a general idea what sex is about, but may have some questions about being responsible and actually accessing proper birth control. Especially those small town kids that have to come into the bigger cities to hit up the planned parenthood undercover. There should be a voluntary lecture or something likewise to cover these topics in an open environment that lets kids know that birth control is serious and there's nothing more adult than that.

open the package. Squeeze the tip and roll it on. whats so hard about that? (sarcasm) The only thing condoms should be used in school for is balloon animals. I agree, this should be a Parents/Child topic of discussion, not the schools. What are they going to teach next? How to properly light a joint, or inject heroin? Maybe how to use the $5 bill given to them for lunch to roll up and snort coke? Freaking rediculous.

I see two issues at play:

1) Why is the state getting involved in an inherently private facet of human life? Is this really what we want students to learn in school? Why should we expose children to this kind of thing?

2) With the spread of AIDS, this is a public health issue, and someone needs to ensure that children know why, when and how to use a condom. Preventing deaths by AIDS is a laudable goal.

Both sides of this argument are valid. For my three teenagers, the school sent home "take my kid out" slips. Sign it and your kid doesn't go to the class. The default is going to the class.

Why can't parents opt out of this class for their children and let the rest go, as their parents see fit? Worked for me.

I believe the law has gone too far. Since sex ed has been taught in our school's teenage promiscuity, pregnancies and venereal diseases have increased. Statistics show that condoms do not prevent all pregnancies and they do not prevent all venereal diseases. Kids are scarred for life when they get a sexually transmitted disease. Also statistics on the programs that teach Abstinence education and respect for ones body is showing that teenagers are responding to this message and abstaining from sex. Our teachers need to get out of the business of teaching our kids how to have sex and back into the business of teaching reading, writing and mathematics.

By saying that sex education should be taught in schools you are saying it is okay to push your morals/beliefs onto someone else.

By making it part of the curriculum you are forcing others to pay for your social deviancy.

By handing out condoms in school you are saying to the children "go and use it".

Too many people have been living vicariously through their children by encouraging promiscuity under the guise of education.

Unfortunately the children are the ones who have to suffer with the VD, pregnancies, or psychological/emotional/physical trauma from immature sexual practices.

The mature application of abstinence until marriage is the only proven method to avoid the unwanted problems. What goes where is not a mystery and a wonderful learning opp for the couple who wait.

"The mature application of abstinence until marriage is the only proven method to avoid the unwanted problems. What goes where is not a mystery and a wonderful learning opp for the couple who wait."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes parents should have been taking care of this. But today's society is changing fast and parents are not what they were 30-50 years ago. We are much more wrapped up in providing to family and self than taking the time with our kids in some most cases.

So what is society to do?

Well, it decided through law changes the schools should be teaching this stuff so the parents do not have to. To many parents are afraid to take this one on. So teaching the kids is at least something than nothing from the parents.

Seeing I am a baby boomer 1954 and my parents would have been mortified to teach this topic I guess I do or the school system.

My problem with the whole think is it needs to be taught at the 5 and 6th grade level. Hold, on parents I know what you are thinking, but remember our society these days is pretty fast tracked, so are the kids. Better to start early than have a few unwanted pregnancys out there. Early start the info flow, at the high school level it is way to late, even I knew what a condom was in junior high. Does not mean I was using but daaaaa I knew what they were for.

I am for teaching the kids, but start early enough to do some good, high is not early enough.

Now our home grown Christian Taliban rears its ugly ignorant heads. Maybe if your new hero Sarah Phalin had practiced a bit more condem talking she would NOT have a 17 year old pregnant daughter!!! But the little slut is now the Christian Taliban's poster child for because she was so brave and did not get an abortion... Wow is that missing the boat or skirting the issue?? But that is what the GOP excels at. Perhaps if the prude and backwardass Christian Taliban would get witht he 21rst century versus trying to move society back to the 18th Century we could evolve as a society. But they would much rather have pregnant teenagers and blame liberals for it! Condem information should be shared to high schoolers, it is the Right thing to do.

Maybe parents aren't comfortable or are too timid to teach their children how to apply a condom but I think I want my tax dollars to concentrate on WASL passing strategies which by the way is just as a big waste of time.

As someone recently out of highschool (3.5 years ago)...my parents never discussed sex and protection with me. My school did. My school discussed AIDS and other STD's. I don't see anything wrong with this kind of education in the school system. A lot of parents don't adequately teach their children about protection from STD's and they certainly don't teach them enough on how having a child at 16 or 17 impacts your life tremendously. Parent's just say "Dont have sex!" Wake up call! That doesn't work on young, curious and usually rebelious minds.

I also have to say that I think it is the states/governments business to teach children about proper protection. More often than not, who pays for healthcare and food for the child born to a teenage mother? Welfare? Medicaid? Who funds welfare and medicaid? Tax payers and the state. Can we find a way to reduce the states spending on teens with children? Certainly! Why, educate them of course!

Parents are not always there for their children when they need them. I don't have children but I feel for young teens that do that don't have the support they need and never got the education they needed and deserved.

I learned it in Jr High. There is no harm in the schools providing this info.

Yes it is the states responsibility. To many people have unprotected sex and get sexually transmitted infections which the tax payer eventually is responsible for when people with STI's end up having to rely on state health care for treatment. It is apparent that not enough parents actaully teach their children about sex, protecting themselves and their partners.

You know I'm all for parents being able to teach their kids about sex and how to use a condom, but it just doesn't happen. My parents, I'm 20 by the way, never told me the who, what, where, how, and why's about anything sex. I learned through school what sex was, and how I shoudl protect myself from STD's and getting a girl pregnent.

I think this law doesn't go far enough, if you're going to teach how to use a condom, then start providing them. Abstinence doesn't work in most cases, kids are simply irresponsible. I think the sex ed programs just need to start saying, you shouldn't have sex until you're married, but if you're going too, here are ways to protect yourself from STI's and pregnancy.

I think that if I can see a woman giving birth to a child in public schools, and having parents not get into a tizzy over that, as compared to showing them something, that may one day save their life, there is something VERY wrong.

I'm all for that .. make sure that you educate Sarah Paulins daughter also please?

C said:
"I'm all for that .. make sure that you educate Sarah Paulins daughter also please?"

It's Palin!! And someone needs to educate you about condom use! It's not for birth control...that's what the pill is for!

Keep the bedroom antics at home or in the Dr's office. Today's kids have plenty of other options for learning this stuff. And wow, all that sex info really sunk in the brains of those girls back east who made a pact that they'd all get pregnant. Surprise, surprise. It's about right thinking, stupid. Try teaching that. duh
How about teaching them reading so they can read the warnings on the condom packages.

Parents don't do it so government should?

That's your argument?

Someone can't afford the problem they've made for themselves - so force others to pay for them?

There are too few people talking about personal responsibility and way too many people talking about "big daddy government" saving the day.

If you smoke, you get lung cancer. Why do I have to pay for your treatment? If you get pregnant I'm not buying the baby clothes.

Stop forcing others to cover up for your bad decisions which lead to your problems. Get that, your problems. Not mine.

If you can't keep your pants zipped then deal with your own issues.

I and others like me are not your sugar daddy. We are sick and tired of carrying the weight of others who fail to listen.

If you screw around you will most likely catch a life altering, if not life threatening, disease and could very possibly have children (which are difficult to handle and raise).

Wow, how hard was that? Show that to your kids and we won't have to spend one dime on an education curriculum that has proven to be a complete failure.

Most of these arguments about healthcare are actually justifications for not having socialized (socialist) healthcare.

Out of curiosity – how many people advocating for sex education believe in Darwinism’s survival of the fittest? If you were to practice what you preach then it would be obvious to you that you really shouldn’t have too much compassion on the (as A-Rod posted earlier 9/9 11:01) “irresponsible kids”. If they can’t figure it out for themselves then paying their way won’t help.

Stop the enabling behavior and you won’t have to keep paying for it year after year.

J .. you'd need to read up on your mad skillz a bit. Condoms are much more effective than the pill and it doesn't have the side effect of messing up hormones.

Oh .. and while you're at it .. the pill also doesn't prevent those perky STDs to be spread.

check out the Presidential Condom Challenge at one condoms.com