What Would Obama's 'Age-Appropriate' Kindergarten Class Look Like?
July 19, 2007
Here's what we know for sure. Barack Obama thinks "age-appropriate" sex education for Kindergartners is a good thing.
His campaign has also told The Brody File that information about inappropriate touching would be a good idea.
But what else?
Nobody knows for sure but here's an idea of what to expect. The Obama campaign refers The Brody File to some other types of Kindergarten programs that may give you an idea of what the Senator is talking about.
It may model something along the lines of what The Oregon Department of Education is doing.
They have the following guidelines for sex education for children in grades K-3, which include "understanding the difference between a good touch and a bad touch, understanding the names for body parts, personal hygiene, and "refusal skills." Read more here.
Also, take a look at the United Church Of Christ site. Obama is a member of the Church where they promote "A Sexual Education Curriculum For Kindergartners." Read about it here.
It says:
"Our Whole Lives K-1 supports parents, teachers and pastors in educating children about birth and sexuality. The program affirms all kinds of families and helps children identify and avoid sexual abuse. Activities include stories, songs, arts and crafts."
Finally, the Obama campaign points us to the Guidelines Developed By the Sexuality Information And Education Council of the United States, SIECUS, For Younger Children Focus on Sexual Abuse Prevention.
Here's part of what it says:
"This curriculum emphasizes social skills and is designed to prepare young people to care about themselves, their family, and their community. It consists of 20 lessons for grades K through two and 20 lessons for grades three through four on such subjects as friendship, disability, feelings, families, sexual abuse prevention, anger, space, staying healthy, anatomy, babies, and pregnancy."
Read more here.
Since we don't know what the Obama camp has in store specifically, it's hard to figure out the exact plan. But The SIECUS guidelines have come under criticism before.
Some of them may be too much for some families to handle even though the part Obama's campaign refers to doesn't seem to include the more controversial parts.
Here's what columnist Mona Charen wrote about SIECUS in 2005:
"Most states derive their sex-ed curricula, in whole or in part, from the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, a group with a decidedly liberal view of these matters.
SIECUS promotes sex ed starting in kindergarten, when children should be taught the proper names for body parts and the difference between good touch and bad touch.
In New York, kindergarteners also learn the difference between transmissible and non-transmissible diseases, the terms HIV and AIDS, and that 'AIDS is hard to get.' But the 5 and 6-year-olds are not left in the dark.
Teachers tell them how people get AIDS, along with the information that 'it feels good to touch parts of the body.'"
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