New York City recently enacted a law which required the sex education course to be taught at all public middle and high schools. Not long after, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York criticized the new law, claiming that it is the parents’ responsibility, not the schools’, to educate children about sex. According to the director of communications for the archdiocese, the mandate by the city allows public schools to substitute their beliefs and values for those of the parents.

However, I believe that, since children these days are exposed to sex in so many ways, the New York public school system made the right decision by trying to educate children in advance before they make any mistakes. Besides, what can they teach that parents can oppose so violently? The sex education programs emphasize that abstinence is the best way to avoid pregnancy, and they discuss the consequences of unplanned teen pregnancy. They also touch on other important subjects such as STD’s, the use of a condom, and the appropriate age/time for sexual activity. Would your parents have taught you anything different? In addition, I believe that some parents might not even have the best knowledge in the sexual education area. If parents were left with the responsibility of teaching their children about sex, we might end up with some poorly informed young adults in the future who could possibly put themselves in danger because they didn’t know enough about sex.

Parents who still seriously oppose sexual education in schools can still opt out, can’t they? I appreciate the goal that the New York City school system had in mind when they required sexual education in public middle/high schools. By providing students with basic knowledge about sex, we can create a safer world.