UPDATE: Mass. School Says No More Condoms for First Graders

July 1 Update: Citing massive misunderstanding by the public and compounded by media misinterpretation, Superintendent Beth Singer announced that the condom availability policy would be reworded and assured local parents that no elementary students would be able to obtain condoms from a school nurse.

She also issued an apology to parents for the way in which the issue was presented and for the media storm that has surrounded it.

The condom distribution policy is still scheduled to go into effect for older students in September, but Singer hopes to introduce the policy to students and parents with informational materials and workshops addressing adolescent sexuality.

—————————

Elementary school students in Provincetown, Mass., can now acquire condoms at school. And parents can be assured their children will receive proper instruction about the use of those condoms.
Children as young as grade one will be able to ask for condoms — without parental consent — thanks to a new policy recently approved by the town’s school council.

The policy requires students talk with a school nurse or counselor before receiving condoms, but does not set any age restrictions for distribution. Also, schools will not honor requests from parents who don’t want their children to be given condoms.

According to School Superintendent, Dr. Beth Singer, sexual education is taught in the district’s health classes, but detailed instructions about condom use are not part of the curriculum. Since the policy does not set age limits, she wants to make sure younger students receive proper information about condom usage if they request them.

No mention is made as to whether or not children will be counseled about the perils of sexual activity at such young ages; however, Provincetown’s new policy does contain language stating the district does not approve of students’ having sex. It goes on to say it recognizes the fact that some students are sexually active and, therefore, should practice safe sex.

Having never taught in Massachusetts, I am unfamiliar with their mandatory reporting rules or training for educators. In my home state of Iowa, teachers were mandatory reporters of physical and sexual abuse. A first grader requesting a condom was definitely one of the things that should have sent a teacher running to make a report to the appropriate child protective agencies.

My own daughter is just finishing grade two. She studies health at school geared towards her grade level. Her dad and I keep her age appropriately informed in terms of her sexuality. Condom use, in my opinion, doesn’t fall under “age appropriate.” And if any six or seven-year-old requests one, it should set off alarm bells.

It’s difficult to please all parents when it comes to topics covered in school that fall outside the three R’s. Federal and state governments often pass legislation and create policies ignoring the fact some teacher or school nurse way down below on the food chain is going to be the one responsible for making the whimsical requirements workable.

And this is why we end up with rules that are as ridiculous as the Provincetown condom policy.

Elementary school students are unlikely to ask their school nurse for condoms. But policies that fail to take age into account force schools to adopt stop-gap rules that are just as awful as the bad policy holes they are trying to cover up.

photo credit: Condoms by Trec Lit

quick poll

vote now!

Loading poll...

no!
leaning no
leaning yes
yes!

no!
leaning no
leaning yes
yes!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Lynne A.

12:56PM PST on Dec 29, 2010

High School or even middle school students who have had sex ed in PE class can act responsibly. We'll have fewer babies having babies.

send a green star

jane d.

12:28PM PDT on Jul 23, 2010

God , i swear some parents here do not have the character or strength of will to separate good from bad for their children. Your child should not be having sex in first grade , or second or third. Period. I dont care what the others are doing, i dont care what their peers are thinking and much less give a fock about how much society may be pushing it , your child is under your command until hes old enough. To be so bland as to allow a child innocence to be corrupted speaks so much more about the own garbage in your heart. Let a child experience the natural process of growing up , to explore the world with your guidance and wisdom as opposed to just standing there like an idiot.

12:17PM PDT on Jul 23, 2010

This is ridiculous ! Theres a well research case in psychology that giving your child everything he wants(including s e x ) is likely to turn them into impatient,selfish angry individuals during their adult years . Not to mention this is just creepy , irresponsible and idiots who support that 1 graders should get condoms are not very far from being pedophiles or with a libido the size of a country , making them unable to reason. Im not having children . Fock you Illuminati, this is their work in progression !

Quanta K.

10:28PM PDT on Jul 20, 2010

Everything all governments are doing does not seem to be helping the "babies having babies" epidemic. Why? They're treating the symptoms not the cause.

Maybe they should start censoring entertainment so that sex isn't so explicit and overrated in things such as sexually explicit t.v. series (Gossip girl) and music videos (the ones were women have next to nothing on and sex is simulated) that are screened during kiddy hour.

Now I am not saying kids should be uninformed and should have their curiosity curbed but their source of information should not be the television set sitting in the lounge.

It should be proper information from parents and counsellors.

I know there are kids out there that no amount of talking to is going to work on but really how big is that percentage if you are a good parent and you know how to lead your kids properly?

So be the parent and don't shirk your duties just because you want your kids to like you. Show them that (despite what the telly says) there is more to life than sex.

Censoring is not a bad thing when it comes to children, it's a protection device.

Giovanna B.

8:10PM PDT on Jul 19, 2010

I gotta say I agree with this, there are just to many pregnancies in these days and the parent ages seem to be getting younger and younger.

Also many kids now are being exposed to many things that the older generations were not exposed to and would think it disgusting for a five-year old or seven-year old to be thinking of these things.

Then you also have to think that each generation gets smarter than the last one and matures at a faster rate, so I agree fully with the schools handing these out. I think it should be done everywhere in all grades.

8:09PM PDT on Jul 19, 2010

Andrea M.

11:25PM PDT on Jul 13, 2010

There is absolutely no reason why any student under the age of 15 should be asking for a condom. Even 15 is young, but by that age, they've pretty much realized that the opposite sex isn't as bad as they once thought. They have these new feelings, and sometimes may want to act on them. The school (ie: a trusted counselor that the student feels comfortable with) should do everything possible to deter the student from making the life changing decision to have sex with someone else. Only then should the condoms be distributed. To just hand them out randomly is a bad idea on so many levels. Education should be the first priority.

Colleen F.

10:45PM PDT on Jul 12, 2010

At first grade, most kids think that the other gender are icky. Why would they be having sex? They haven't even hit puberty yet. When I was in first grade, I gotta say I still believed in the stork.

Lika S.

2:03AM PDT on Jul 11, 2010

Teaching 7th graders about various birth control is one thing. Explaining the facts of life at 4th or 5th grade is also one thing. But to distribute condoms for usage before reaching H.S. is ridiculous and encouraging sexual activity. Even in H.S., it should go through the nurse and also through the counselor, so that there is a safety net "just in case".

Aimee P.

5:53PM PDT on Jul 6, 2010

I didn't even know what a condom was until middle school, seventh grade at the youngest. I think elementary school kids (and I'm talking prepubescent ages if anyone's iffy on what I mean by "elementary school kids") shouldn't be instructed on sex at all. They're too young, and wouldn't be having sex anyway.