Sex Education Vital

The subject of sex education in the public schools has been much discussed this year, and that in itself is probably a positive development.

The problem of teen pregnancy and what to do about it moved into the spotlight in March when a counselor at San Marcos High School reported that more than 150, or 20%, of the girls there had been pregnant during the 1983-84 school year. It surfaced again recently as Vista school trustees angered many parents by deciding to offer education about contraception to seventh-graders.

Teen pregnancies have reached epidemic proportions, and there is no reason to think young people in North County are atypical in their sexual behavior. People who teach sex education to teens say half of them may be sexually active. One study projects that 40% of today’s sexually active 14-year-old girls will have unplanned pregnancies by the time they are 20.

At the core of the debate over sex education is where it should take place. Opponents of sex education in the public schools usually argue that it is the responsibility of the parents to provide their children with the necessary value systems and specific information regarding sexual conduct. Few would argue with that attitude--as far as it goes.

Where opponents of sex education go wrong is by thinking they can control the sources of information, or misinformation, their children receive. In today’s society, sexual messages are everywhere. The many movies whose themes are the anticipated loss of virginity, network television programs that have made extramarital sex standard fare, seductive billboards, music videos, even newspaper advertising, all send messages to the young about sexuality. And even those parents who successfully and conscientiously monitor what their offspring see in the movies and television can’t control what they learn from their friends.

Parents should welcome the concern of school districts such as those in Vista and San Marcos and recognize that--as with many kinds of education--school, family, church and community should work together. Why should sex education be the sole province of the parents any more than education about the use of drugs, alcohol or tobacco should be?

The Vista school trustees acted courageously in sticking to their principles in the face of substantial opposition. Other school districts that do not provide education on birth control, or that do not deal with it until the high school years, should take note of Vista’s example and reexamine their policies.