The Value of Knowing When to Teach

            The ethical situation I have been reading about is the argument for introducing sex education to kindergarten students.  The Chicago public school system is, where others are dealing with issues involving religious teachings, facing calls for plans to set a curriculum for sex education for all school grades.  The topics would include personal safety, healthy relationships, anatomy, and reproduction.  A national news network reported that the new school’s policy would include children as young as kindergarteners.  The CEO of the Chicago School District told the network that the educational information would help not only adolescents, but preadolescents throughout their lives. 

            One of the main objectives is to introduce sexual orientation and gender identity to the youth to promote awareness, tolerance, and understanding of the LGBT: or lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual community.  Education and information give people the tools to be more accepting to difference, and in turn prevent bullying and even violence towards difference.  The intention behind this curriculum is noble in design, but the school system also wants to expand into information including sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, birth control, and abstinence.  Parents may opt out of this program if they do not want their children to participate.

            My concern with this program is the controversial subject matter. When my daughter was five, she only knew Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer.  I did fall into the social convention of dressing her all in pink with flowers and dresses, but where do we draw the line between what we think as normal, yet, embracing the differences in our society?  If change does not happen, we would never have repealed slavery, had an African American President, or a woman close to election to Presidency of The United States, and so on.  But how early do we want to expose our children to all the unique values and differences of others?  I believe that our responsibility is teaching our own values and traditions to our children, then letting them learn at their own pace, of other lifestyles and cultures that are different to their own personal mindset.  Once we establish a solid foundation for our kids, other options are available. We as parents must choose the time we feel is appropriate for their exposure to nonconventional information.

            While these topics are controversial and overwhelming, they have to be dealt with.  As bulling, violence, and suicide of our young people are in the forefront of our society, these issues have now involved the legal court systems. These issues may have legal ramifications and permanent consequences that will follow our children throughout their lives.  All this information makes me consider both sides of this pivotal issue but, I want to keep my daughter’s life as simple as possible.  She is going to encounter so many more obstacles in her lifetime.  Although a child’s mind is like a sponge, there are certain things that most our unable to fully comprehend.  I agree that having acceptance in your heart is a crucial factor that makes a good human being, but learning about the birds and the bees when one is not maturely ready, is as effective as finely dicing a tomato with a spoon.