Rusting Car Bumper

The report contains various specific recommendations which would trump autonomy. Someone in the thread also said, "The complaint is that ... it allows school districts to restrict information regarding HIV/AIDS etc."

It seems I'm talking about the report that was the object of the thread and a comment in thread.

DC

Bookman

Unfortunately, how we pay for American Schools makes meuncomfortable with my natural inclination (which we apparently share) to accept local autonomy.

Ab-only programs receive federal dollars, promote a non-universal moral code (no sex before marriage, no homosex), and most importantly don't work.

I'm uncomfortable with federal mandates but I don't want to pay for bigotry and impracticality.

Bookman

wildernesse

I'm all for local control over school districts--mainly because I dislike having to pander to the lowest common denominator which is what generally results.

However, HIV/AIDS education is also a matter of public health--how much autonomy should individual districts/states have over the control of info about the control and prevention of an infectious and uncurable disease?

Does anyone have an answer about the CSS issue with the federally-funded county government collaborating with local churches? Is this an issue legally?

--tibac

Toto

It depends - did the county pass any money to the churches or endorse their point of view on a matter of theology?

I would like this sort of thing to be illegal, but it would only be illegal under the "entanglement" test. I suspect that a moderately intelligent lawyer could structure the program to avoid legal problems.

Allkholollick

I am not so sure that I favor local control in this matter. Given the choice, schools in conservative (especially rural) areas will do the Ab-only, homos-R-evil thing. They get away with this because no one ever complains. Of course if you do complain you are now a pariah.
Doesn't this all boil down to the fundy idea that an educated population is a bad thing? I don't want to lump all Xtians under a stereotype but it seems to me that most of the thumpers that I have dealt with in the past would like a student to learn to read, write, calculate and nothing else.
They don't want anything in the curriculum that contradicts their narrow biblical beliefs. The feeling that I get from these people is that if the kids never talk about sex (like thats going to happen) then they will never have sex (prior to Jebus's approval that is).

There are people in my community (my mother included) that feel that sex is only appropriate for procreation. Sex is sinful, or something like that. They want the sex discussion to go something like this:

• Parent: Don't have sex.
  Kid: OK.

No uncomfortable discussions about masturbation, birth control, etc. :banghead: And if little Susy does end up pregnant or infected with an STD then she deserves to suffer for being sinful in the first place.

Personally I think that sex ed should be all inclusive and as graphic as is age appropriate. I cannot understand how it is a good thing that a subject that is so important is dumbed down or restricted to the very people that need it most.

Rusting Car Bumper

I cannot disagree there. It doesn't stop there. There are several places where the feds hold the locals hostage by denying funds unless local laws conform.

DC

Nickle

what's LGBT?

Novowels

Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered