The Kansas State Board of Education’s 6-4 approval Wednesday of a new sexual education policy for Kansas public schools elicited groans from both conservative and liberal board members.
Advocates of comprehensive sex education were concerned because the new policy’s wording emphasizes “abstinence until marriage.” However, an approved addition to the new policy calls for students to be given information about contraception and sexually transmitted diseases, a departure from Kansas public schools’ previous policy of “abstinence only” education.
A story in the Wichita Eagle reported that conservative board members like Kathy Martin opposed the addition because they wanted to mandate that Kansas schools teach “abstinence only” sex education or lose accreditation, on the heels of the board’s decision that sex education instruction require parental permission.
The program will now allow student to get essential health information along with the abstinence message.
