Teachers should administer sex education
Teachers have committed their lives to educating children and teens. They can communicate far more effectively than parents.
Education
Sex
Sexuality
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Context
Standardising sex education across the school system will ensure that children and teens are receiving accurate information from people who are qualified to teach and are trained educators.
The Argument
Professional teachers are better placed to ensure children receive accurate information on sex and relationships.
The curriculum is devised from medically accurate information and can be updated as the latest technologies emerge.
On the other hand, a parent, who likely didn’t receive comprehensive sex education themselves while growing up, who may not be familiar with modern relationships, is not in the best position to teach a teen about sex and modern relationships.
Parents can be misinformed or ignorant on subjects like LGBTQ+ relationships, the sexual dangers involved in using dating apps, the latest contraceptive options and their effectiveness, and the rates of sexually transmitted diseases.[1]
Like anything, the world of sex is constantly evolving. It is not a parent’s job to remain abreast of the latest developments. But, if sex education was standardised and taught in schools, it would be a teacher’s job.
Counter arguments
The idea that a capable and informed teacher educates teens on the realities of modern sexual relationships is pure fantasy. In reality, the people teaching sex ed are not the best teachers in the school.
Sex education instruction is often left to physical education teachers who receive little instruction or training and instead struggle through an uncomfortable speech on the “penis” and the “vagina”. In these cases, parents would be a far better source of sexual information.
Additionally, teachers themselves have many reservations about teaching sex education[2]. They are worried that they will go too far and will face a backlash from parents. In one survey, only 36% of teachers surveyed were confident teaching the subject of identity, which deals with topics such as transgenderism and individual sexuality [3].
All sides could be kept safe if parents undertook the responsibility of sex education instruction instead of teachers.
Proponents
Premises
[P1] Teachers receive medically accurate information and are trained to effectively educate teens and children.
[P2] Parents do not always have medically accurate or up-to-date information and have no educational training.
[P3] Therefore, teachers are the best source of sex education.
[P4] Therefore, sex education should be on the school curriculum.
Rejecting the premises
[Rejecting P1] Not all teachers are able to effectively teach children about sex.
[Rejecting P4] But teachers themselves would prefer not to teach sex education.
References
- https://pitjournal.unc.edu/article/sex-education-public-schools
- https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/teacher-concern-over-sex-ed-topics-936158.html
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2373379915618216?journalCode=phpa