BUENA PARK : AIDS Curriculum Previewed by Board

A program to educate students about AIDS in three grade levels this year was presented to the Buena Park School District board on this week, along with a recommendation that parents become involved in how the material is presented in the classroom.

The curriculum, assembled by a task force of teachers, parents and community leaders, would be taught to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students.

The group recommended that parents be introduced to the program in meetings where they could review the material and offer ideas on how to broach the subject of acquired immune deficiency syndrome with their children.

“This is the only way we’re going to beat this,” said Carmen Scott, a parent and task force member. “It’s not a matter of, ‘It’s not going to happen to us.’ It is going to happen to us, but the good thing is it can be prevented.”

Scott and other members of the task force, who included Police Chief Richard M. Tefank, reviewed several videotapes and programs before deciding on the “Get Real About AIDS” curriculum.

“Some of (the other programs) were too complicated, some were too silly, but this was to the point,” Scott said. “It’s geared for the attention span of this age group and it’s simple enough for the parents to understand.”

Videos will be used along with guest speakers to supplement the curriculum, Barry said.

“It will be a close balancing act between informing the children and scaring them,” said task force member Dr. Eugene Boston. “I think what they came up with was excellent and I think getting it at each level is important. I’d like to see it at the 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade level.”

The program also involves sending letters to parents, explaining the required courses and inviting them to meetings to preview the material that will be taught to their children. Parents must give their permission for their children to receive AIDS prevention information.

State law requires school districts to teach abstinence as the only foolproof method of avoiding infection, but also requires that students be told about condoms and other methods that reduce risk.

The parent letter “explains that AIDS prevention begins at home,” said Assistant Supt. Sandra Barry. “We certainly don’t want to usurp that responsibility; however, it is also the school’s responsibility.”