Fulton County school board members are considering changes to the district’s controversial abstinence-centered sex education curriculum.
The board took up at a meeting Tuesday the proposed changes to materials used in the "Choosing the Best" curriculum. The changes include new statistics, photos, videos and other visual aides emphasizing why students should wait until they're married to have sex.
Board members did not discuss the topic at the meeting but moved to put the item on the agenda for the Oct. 22 board meeting.
Critics of the curriculum say it conveys inaccurate information and doesn’t provide instruction on how to use contraceptives. Proponents of abstinence-centered sex ed believe students should be getting the message that no sex until marriage is the only completely safe way to avoid pregnancy and AIDS/HIV.
Cobb and Gwinnett school systems also use the abstinence-based curriculum — as do nearly half of all school systems in Georgia. DeKalb schools uses a comprehensive-based sex ed curriculum, which covers how to use contraceptives.
In Georgia, parents who don’t want their kids to get sex ed can opt them out, though the majority want them to get sex ed, according to surveys. Metro school leaders say very few parents opt their children out of sex ed courses.
Georgia law requires schools to cover human sexuality and HIV/AIDS prevention, and says “instruction shall emphasize abstinence from sexual activity until marriage and fidelity in marriage as important personal goals.” Schools can use abstinence-based or more comprehensive sex ed curricula.
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