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Nebraska eliminates the majority of sex education topics from proposed health standards – Norfolk Daily News

Posted: August 3, 2021 at 1:54 am

The Nebraska Department of Education released a second draft of the state health education standards on Thursday after months of public criticism regarding sex education topics in the original proposal.

The standards human growth and development section was heavily revised to eliminate many of the previous guidelines around sex education, gender identity, sexual orientation, stereotypes and more, but some still remain.

The first draft included several in-depth standards such as teaching students, starting in elementary school, about genitalia differences, human reproduction, sexual health and pregnancy.

The new proposed standards dont contain the majority of these topics, and if they do, they are more brief and generic, which is based on reading through both sets of standards. More complex standards, which some parents deemed inappropriate for younger students, are also introduced more at the high school level rather than in elementary school.

Students would still learn about consent and sexual harassment. When it comes to human reproduction, students would now only learn how puberty prepares human bodies for the potential to reproduce in fifth grade and other levels.

Fertilization, fetal development and the birth process are standards included at the high school level. High school students would briefly learn about sexual health when it relates to preventative exams, STDs and the different stages of pregnancy.

The first draft also proposed students would learn about gender expression; different kinds of family structures such as same-gender families; and sexual identities such as heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay and more.

But the second draft is mostly devoid of these standards. The only standard that is similar is when students would recognize that biological sex and gender identity may or may not differ in seventh grade.

Gender identity is also listed as a term in the new drafts glossary, defining it as Internal deeply held thoughts and feelings about gender.

Gender roles are defined as attitudes and behaviors that a society considers appropriate for males and females.

The department of education faced heavy backlash from Nebraska communities since the first draft was released in March. Many families argued that sex education topics dont have a place in schools.

Groups of school officials, including the Norfolk Public Schools Board of Education, also objected to the standards, saying it should be the parents responsibility to bring up such topics with their children.

In the new draft, the Nebraska Department of Education asks school districts to consider sex education in their curriculum so students have the essential knowledge and critical skills needed to decrease sexual risk behaviors.

The department encourages districts to make decisions about these topics with the consultation of parents, school boards, teachers and community members.

The 53-page second draft still contains seven other sections besides human growth and development, including topics like nutrition, disease prevention, mental health and substance abuse prevention.

Matthew Blomstedt, the states education commissioner, was expected to announce more details about the new draft and next steps in the process during a press conference on Thursday at 11 a.m.

This second draft was also expected to be posted Thursday morning to the Nebraska Department of Educations website and is open to public comment.

The State Board of Education estimated it will vote on a final draft this fall, but the number of drafts before that decision is still unknown. If passed, the standards will be optional, and school districts could choose not to adopt them.

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Nebraska eliminates the majority of sex education topics from proposed health standards - Norfolk Daily News

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