Teachers

Schools have a major role in providing comprehensive sex education

Parents, teachers, faith leaders, and students agree: Young people should receive sex education in school. Schools reach more young people daily than any other system. Parents across the state believe that sex education is an important part of the school curriculum and should be required.

While parents and caregivers may be the primary sexuality educators of their children, schools have a duty to provide factual information to students relative to healthy relationships, consent, anatomy and physiology, puberty and sexual development, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, sexual health such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and interpersonal violence.

Teachers are also the ones who often are unsure of what they are allowed to discuss with their students and left fearing breaking school and state laws or upsetting administration, parents and caregivers. Geaux Talk is a resource for teachers who want to learn more about how to get effective sex education into schools.

Teachers are vital teammates to parents

Parents and schools can work together to ensure young people receive complete, medically-accurate information about sex and relationships.

“Kids don’t always feel comfortable talking to their parents, if it was part of the curriculum, they may feel more comfortable talking to the teachers, because believe it or not , teachers get a mouth full from their kids, they bring a lot of their problems to school.”

Teachers are the front lines

Teachers have a profound impact on the lives of students. As a teacher in Monroe said,

“We spend so much time with the children, we are going to get involved whether we want to or not. We’re the people they’re [students] with the most, the ones they feel comfortable with.”

Teachers interact with students on a near daily basis. They are the ones who hear conversations in the hallways when students think no one is listening. They are often the trusted adult a student might come to when they need help or have a question about sex.

Adding sex education might help teachers

Sex education can be linked to improved academic performance and a reduced number of absentee days. Further, it has been shown to boost self-esteem and reduce bullying.

Teachers need the information that can support them in supporting their students. Many teachers may have questions about sex and sex education themselves.

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