Friday, April 21, 2006

Baby steps

Hey!  I turned in the last report yesterday.  To celebrate that I finally have completed the work for that class, I bought my graduation “regalia” at the bookstore.  What a deal.  Now the only thing I have to do is make sure I get in all the practicum hours I need to, but at least I won’t be trying to do class work as well.  

I’ve got an interesting sort of project to tackle at work.  The small town I work in is seeing a rise this year, and a dramatic one at that, in the number of teen pregnancies. A state BOE member has proposed an “abstinence only” based curriculum be taught in public schools in Kansas.  In a meeting I was attending, someone asked if there was any scientific research which points to an abstinence only curriculum in human sexuality being more effective in curtailing teen pregnancy.  Stunned looks all around, no one knew, so I was asked to see what I could find.  I wonder if this board member has any researched based information to back up her assertion that this type of curriculum has had a better result.  I hope so. I may have to email her and ask, but until then, I’ll look for myself and see what’s out there.

Well kids, time to get going. Now that I’m not so busy with school work, I may have time to write in here once in awhile.  See ya later…



1 comment:

bluggier said...

I don't know if an abstinence only curriculum is "better" or not. I suppose there are several ways to measure that. Pregnancy, STD's, number of sexually active people of certain ages, etc.
However, I guess I'm rather old-fashioned. I'm not sure that sex is the rocket science that many people make it out to be. We seem to treat it as if it is a complex, complicated thing that takes special educational classes, specially-trained teachers and high-dollar curriculum, while spending a ton of tax and other dollars in order to help the average person understand it.
I don't buy that. It's become a self-perpetuating industry with people at the forefront (on both sides) who have a vested interest (their livelihoods) in seeing that it is ALWAYS an issue and nothing is ever settled.
All of a sudden, we're concerned about something that's as old as life itself, thinking that if we nibble a little around the edges (which is the preferred method of both sides), we can keep this economic engine (the sex education machine) going.
I'm tired. I'm ready to go on with whatever life I have left.