Editorial: AISD Sex Education

In an editorial from the Austin American Statesman, the author discussed sex education in Austin schools. The author went into detail about how sex education is important and how Austin desperately needs to revamp it. The author did a fantastic job of discussing how sex education is important for young children, how it could help children learn things like consent, gender identity, and sexuality, and how it could benefit children later in life if taught young. The author’s intended audience was definitely parents of AISD, and the author definitely gained credibility through the amount of facts stated. Some of the facts stated were that AISD hasn’t changed their elementary sex education since 2010, and that was before gay marriage was even legal. Another fact is that most sexual abuse happens to children between the ages of 5 and 13, and it’s been studied that when children understand consent and their anatomy they’re more likely to speak up and report it.

The author never discussed who they were or how they’re involved, but they did state facts for every argument presented. What I really enjoyed about the article was that they stated facts without really giving away what side they were on. While the title pretty much gives away their true position, the article itself is very neutral and could be read by anybody and understood perfectly. At the end of the article, the author reinstates the importance for parents to be involved in sex education in AISD. I agree with a lot of what the author has said, and I do believe sex education is extremely important. Texas is very behind in sex education, as “about 58 percent of districts teach abstinence only, while a quarter of Texas districts offer no sex education at all.”