Dilemma with Ethics and Education in America

Introduction

This paper discusses the ethical and religious factors regarding sex education to young students. Whether sex education should be given to young students or not, is the basis of this paper.

Sex education in public schools is one of the most controversial issues in education that has been hovering over educational institutions for ages. It is not just about sex, it involves other delicate issues such as sexual health, sexual reproduction, and contraceptives. A key issue in the battle over sex education is whether giving young adults more information about sex leads to sexual activity. There was a time when talking about sex simply did not happen. That was many moons ago. Now, teens are beginning to have sex at younger and younger ages, and this changes the playing field. Everyone knows that parents need to talk to their kids about sex, but the lines are not as clear about its education in school settings. Moreover, religious leaders are fully against it. They always oppose the concept. The conservatives are not clear with their opinion. They are somewhat in middle. Some time opposing and at some instances supporting it.

Description and Analysis

Sex education is something that should be taught at home, and then supported at school through basic classes. Where the system has broken down is in the subject matter. Teaching children about how sex works and the consequences of early sex is a good thing. What they should and should not do is the area for parents, not schools. Parents should be aware of everything being taught to kids at school where sex is concerned. Parents are not informed of these important facts, and when they are contradictory to what the parent feels is right for their kid, it is simply wrong. Perhaps the right solution would be a combination of parents and teachers attacking the problems facing our children. This could only happen through closely working together and that is sorely lacking in the schools of America today. Up to nine million teenagers each year suffer from sexually transmitted diseases and about 820,000 girls become pregnant before they turn twenty.

Religious leaders believe that when it comes to sex education in high schools the cons outweigh the pros. Religious leaders believe that children should not be exposed to something as crude as sex education. Back in their school days, religions did not permit these programs. These leaders feel that there is no right way to teach sex education to children who are mentally and emotionally not ready.

Conservatives feel that abstinence only courses are the only topic that should be discussed when it comes to sex education. Abstinence has become the main form of sex education curriculum. Conservatives who are against the notion, repeatedly state the question that why sex education is given so much importance when there are also many other issues connected with juvenile delinquencies such as drugs, drinking and aggressive bullying.

It is also commonly observed that young teenagers who indulge ...