I spent

this past week reading through the Fayette County

schools' health curriculum guides. I believe that to be

pertinent information for all of us. Here are the

highlights.

The first and most

important rule is that Fayette County and the state Board

of Education mandate a sex education curriculum that is

abstinence based. Locally, the health curriculum is

jointly established and monitored by educators and a

review committee comprised of parents, clergy, community

leaders and medical professionals.

The kindergarten through

fifth grade curriculum is established by the county

according to state Quality Core Curriculum (QCC)

standards. For grades sixth through eighth, and for one

semester in high school, the QCC standards are

supplemented with a Human Growth and Development Guide

which is a product of a parent review committee, whose

recommendations were accepted by the Fayette Board of

Education in November 1992.

The parent review committee

supplementary guides prohibit the discussion of sensitive

subject matter such as sodomy and masturbation, and

mandate that any such questions "be referred to

parents, doctors, clergy and/or counselors."

Homosexuality and abortion

may be defined, but not discussed.

The supplementary guides

make clear that the only safe sex is monogamous sex

within the context of marriage, and that "having

children is best undertaken in marriage."

The guides further state

that "all health teachers ... when instructing how

HIV is spread," must also convey that "deep

kissing can put [students] at risk for HIV

transmission" where there is presence of blood in

the saliva from mouth sores or inflamed tissue.

The parent review committee

further mandates that only approved textbooks, speakers,

materials and videos may be used, and that a parent

permission letter must be signed for all participants in

the human growth and development courses of study in

grades five through nine. All health units are to be

preceded by units on decision-making, self-esteem, and

refusal skills.

Throughout the health

curriculum in grades kindergarten through ninth are the

following strands in compliance with state QCC objectives

in increasingly mature formats as is age-appropriate per

grade level: alcohol, tobacco, and other substance abuse;

disease prevention; family living; growth and

development; mental health; nutrition; personal health;

safety; and in the high school component only: health

careers; consumer health; and community health.

DARE materials are used in

grades three through five. Safety and accident prevention

regarding firearms is presented in grades three, eight,

and nine. All of the grades identify local support

systems concerning personal safety as family, teachers,

religious advisors, friends or counselors. A discussion

of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and neglect is

included in every grade level, as well as what to do if

one is the victim of abuse.

Speaking of what to do,

"What Tadoo" and "What Tadoo With

Secrets," for kindergarten, first and second grades

respectively, are the two newest proposed additions to

the approved videos list to support the health

curriculum. These have been tabled for 30 days for public

viewing and comment.

If you wish to preview the

videos, contact Larry Reeves at the LaFayette Educational

Center at 770-460-3990, ext. 121.

About the only thing

questionable in my mind was the use of a bizarre little

activity called "Fallout" in the mental health

strand of eighth grade. This is one some of you may have

seen in corporate retreat settings designed to promote

consensus thinking.

The instructions state that

as survivors of a nuclear blast, with limited supplies

for 10 days of safe haven from nuclear fallout, you [the

student], as leader, must decide which eight people out

of 16 to send outside of the shelter to die from

radiation poisoning. Each potential victim comes with a

resume of worthy or unworthy skills and histories. Is

this an exercise in valuing or devaluing human life?

Know, too, that Georgia

Code 20-2-143 states that any parents may elect, in

writing, to "opt out" of the sex education

curriculum, and request that their child be assigned a

suitable alternative course of study.

One other news item: the

county is currently seating the math textbook adoption

committee. If you desire one of the 11 parent spots,

contact your school's principal to see if your school was

allotted a parent position and request an appointment

- I did.

If you would like to read

more on Fayette's health curriculum, contact Dr. Sharon

Boyer, coordinator for Science and Health, at

770-460-3990, ext. 118. My thanks to her for supplying an

organized and professional curriculum guide, and to the

educators, parents, and Fayette community for a quality

product for our children.

[You may contact Amy

Riley at [email protected] .]