AIDS Education Found Deficient
Schools provide the least amount of AIDS education to 11th- and 12th-graders--a time when their sexual activity increases--as well as to students in smaller school districts, government reports said Thursday.
The reports by the General Accounting Office, Congress’ watchdog agency, recommended that more instruction be given to all students about acquired immune deficiency syndrome and that state and local governments use Centers for Disease Control funds to collect survey data on AIDS education in schools.
Among the GAO findings:
--Five percent of school districts require that AIDS education be provided at every grade level. Fifteen percent provide AIDS education in the 11th and 12th grades.
--Of the school districts not requiring AIDS education, most had fewer than 450 students.
--Training for some AIDS teachers was absent or insufficient.
--More than 80% of recipients of Centers for Disease Control funds did not collect data on students’ AIDS knowledge, beliefs, sexual behavior and drug use.
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