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Monday, October 7, 2024 - 05:45 PM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

Lately in the news there has been a great deal of controversy over what is being taught in public schools when it comes to Sex Education. There is indeed a disconnect between what Christian Conservative Parents want taught and what Humanist Progressives want taught to their children by the state.

Whose “right” is it to teach a child what they need to know about the birds and the bees? Is it the public schools responsibility to override what a parent wants their child to learn? Things are really getting heated up when it comes to Sex Education. Exactly what is age appropriate learning about sex? Do children in kindergarten need to be learning about sex during their academic day?

SC law as of now on what can and cannot be taught in our public schools on Sex Education can be found here:

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t59c032.php

And here is the link to the actual standards being used to develop lesson plans for the grade levels which include the Sex Ed standards: It is worth noting that when I went to the SCDE web page and typed in Sex Education in the search bar...nothing came up. I had to contact them via email and ask them to send me the link for the Sex Education Standards...which are hidden within the Health Standards.

https://ed.sc.gov/index.cfm?LinkServID=9F2D43B9-B8FB-1EBD-A5CC729876902311

After reading through the SC law and the SCDE Health standards, I am fairly confident that SC as of right now cannot teach about any type of sexual relationship that is not heterosexual, except for the discussion on sexually transmitted diseases. Teachers are also not allowed to give information about sexual practices outside of marriage or unrelated to reproduction, except for discussion on sexually transmitted disease. Distribution of condoms or contraceptives is NOT allowed on school grounds either. And teachers are not supposed to teach about abortion. The SC law mentioned above also states:

SECTION 59-32-80.

Any teacher violating the provisions of this chapter or who refuses to comply with the curriculum prescribed by the school board as provided by this chapter is subject to dismissal.

Furthermore the SC law states:

SECTION 59-32-90.

Films, pictures, or diagrams in any comprehensive health education program in public schools must be designed solely for the purpose of explaining bodily functions or the human reproduction process and may not include actual or simulated portrayals of sexual activities or sexual intercourse.

The SC Law also clearly states:

SECTION 59-32-50. Notice to parents; right to have child exempted from comprehensive health education program classes.

Pursuant to policies and guidelines adopted by the local school board, public school principals shall develop a method of notifying parents of students in the relevant grades of the content of the instructional materials concerning reproductive health, family life, pregnancy prevention, and of their option to exempt their child from this instruction, and sexually transmitted diseases if instruction in the diseases is presented as a separate component. Notice must be provided sufficiently in advance of a student's enrollment in courses using these instructional materials to allow parents and legal guardians the opportunity to preview the materials and exempt their children.

A public school principal, upon receipt of a statement signed by a student's parent or legal guardian stating that participation by the student in the health education program conflicts with the family's beliefs, shall exempt that student from any portion or all of the units on reproductive health, family life, and pregnancy prevention where any conflicts occur. No student must be penalized as a result of an exemption. School districts shall use procedures to ensure that students exempted from the program by their parents or guardians are not embarrassed by the exemption.

I don't know about you, but I like our SC law on Sex Education. However, are teachers in SC really abiding by the law above? Has your child come home talking about things they have learned in class that are forbidden by law for the teacher to teach them? If so, parents need to file a law suit.

SC Law clearly gives parents to right to opt out of anything they don't want their child learning regarding sex! Parents should go their child's school Principal and demand to know what will be taught to their child regarding sex and decide if you want to opt your child out of those discussions. It's on YOU the parent to be vigilant.

Several states are now pushing toward a more “progressive” stance on what they will require students to learn on sex and they are not giving parents an option to opt out of those lessons. For the latest update on what is being taught about sex in the USA, see here:

https://www.lehmiller.com/blog/2019/3/18/the-state-of-sex-education-in-the-united-states-in-2019

I contacted the SC Dept of Ed and asked if there was any discussions at present on changing the Sex Education Laws on the books. Their reply was, “ No we have no plans nor the authority to change abstinence based education. That change would have to come from the General Assembly as it is required by the Comprehensive Health Education Act.” So, I suggest you contact your SC Columbia Legislators and ask if there is any present legislation being considered to change our Sex Education laws on the books. It is imperative parents be pro- active on this and not just re-active. Your child cannot unsee or unhear what their teacher has just taught them.

As we all know there was a push via Common Core Standards for ALL states to be aligned with their learning standards...so it only logically follows there will be a push for ALL states to be aligned with their Sex Education Standards. This should concern all parents to remain vigilant in SC. At present there is no universal definition or consensus of what “Comprehensive Sex Education” should include.

The sex education I was taught in 5th grade back in 1960 is a whole lot different now. What is taking place now is a push for programs that want to change society by changing our values and beliefs into what are acceptable sexual and gender norms set by the liberals.  Many states are actually mandating children as young as kindergarten age to learn there are many different genders and that homosexuality is normal. And not only that, but they are pushing at early ages that it is a child's “right” to obtain sexual pleasure and in a variety of ways.

See this article:

https://www.comprehensivesexualityeducation.org/cse-facts/why-cse-is-not-sex-ed/

A parent on Facebook actually posted their concerns about their 7th grade child in California learning about this in their school. See screenshot below:

California Child Docu

Back in November, Worcester, Massachusetts' parents and church leaders along with Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) rallied and stopped the implementation of a Planned Parenthood sex education program named, “ Making Proud Choices.” The director of MFI, Michael King testified about the program to the school board about how Planned Parenthood had redefined abstinence as:

“French-kissing; anal sex; fingering a partner’s genitals; mutual masturbation; dry humping; sharing fantasies … phone sex … grinding … sex with clothes on; rubbing bodies with clothes on; masturbating a partner; hand job

… mouth-penis contact; touching a partner’s nipples … mouth-anus contact … striptease and caressing a partner’s scrotum and testicles.”

King said, “If studies show that abstinence doesn’t work, maybe it’s because they’ve redefined it and they’re not really looking at the real definition...So, I want you to think about that, and think about what are we teaching our kids, that we are over-sexualizing our kids, and is this really age-appropriate?” His speech and the overwhelming support of parents in the audience caused the Worcester, MA school board to shelf the sex education program offered by Planned Parenthood. See here for more information on the success:

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/11/26/sex-ed-showdown-parents-defeat-planned-parenthood-in-blue- massachusetts/

The question is, will SC fall for the progressive push toward teaching children more on sex? Well, SC fell for the push for progressive failed Common Core Standards which were renamed to SC College/Career Ready. So there's that history of how our South Carolina Department of Education makes bad decisions.