Sex-education teachers in Hawaii must teach that abstinence is the “surest and most responsible way” to avoid unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, the state school board has decided.
Teaching abstinence is currently part of the curriculum. But pressure from some students and community members prompted the board to adopt a resolution last month that emphasizes abstinence over birth control, said Greg Knudsen, the communications director for the state education department.
The new policy still allows instruction in the use of birth-control methods.
Crowded Classrooms
Enrollment in California’s public schools has reached a record high, according to a recent study.
The number of students in the state’s public schools is expected to reach 7 million by 2000, say researchers from the Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy, a Palo Alto-based group. This year the number stands at 5.4 million, an increase of 1.4 million since 1984.
