Massachusetts college students will now obtain a extra inclusive intercourse and well being training, following a unanimous vote by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Schooling. These up to date curriculum frameworks goal to cowl a spread of subjects together with LGBTQ+ points, bodily autonomy, psychological and emotional well being, relationship security, diet, sexually transmitted infections, and consent. That is the primary replace to the rules since 1999.
The brand new requirements are categorized into 4 age teams: pre-Ok by second grade, grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12. For the youngest college students, the main target is on wholesome consuming, stress administration, hygiene habits, emergency response, selling respect, bullying prevention, and the significance of taking treatment when prescribed.
As college students progress by their training, the rules embody modules on intercourse training, wholesome relationships, gender identification, substance abuse, human and intercourse trafficking consciousness, and evidence-based bodily training strategies.
This determination by the Board of Schooling follows a public remark interval over the summer season, throughout which the Division of Elementary and Secondary Schooling acquired practically 5,400 feedback. The proposal to replace the state’s intercourse training tips was initially introduced by Governor Maura Healey in June, aligning with earlier laws makes an attempt that had failed within the Massachusetts Home.
Whereas the Senate has beforehand handed the “Wholesome Youth Act” aimed toward updating intercourse training, complete payments addressing human anatomy, sexually transmitted illnesses, HIV and AIDS, contraception, relationship violence, and gender and sexual identification repeatedly did not go within the Home.
