Parents should have a say in what their children are being taught in sex education classes, a candidate says. | Canva
Parents should have a say in what their children are being taught in sex education classes, a candidate says. | Canva
George Kemper, a Republican candidate for the Illinois House District 12, opposes SB 818 requiring schools to align their sexual education curriculum with national standards.
"Parents should have a say in what is taught to their children and placing a national standard on sensitive issues, like sexual education, takes away the voices of both parents and students," Kemper told Chicago City Wire.
When asked if he believes sex education is more important than teaching students math, science and reading skills, Kemper replied, "The question should not be whether sex education is more or less important than math, science, and reading skills. The question is whose responsibility teaching sexual education is?"
I firmly believe that topics revolving around sexual education should fall on parents/guardians, and not on teachers. With that said, I do believe that it is more important for young students to focus their time on topics like math, science, and reading skills," he said.
He said he has received mixed feedback from the community on the issue of sexual education.
"Some parents believe that these sensitive topics should be handled within their own homes and have no place inside classrooms," he said. "Others seem happy to pass off the responsibilities that come with being a parent to teachers or other school staff."
Kemper supports giving local school districts the ability to opt out of the national standards.
"I believe that it is important for individuals, and individual organizations, to have methods available to them so that they are not bullied or coerced by an overreaching government," he said.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed SB 818 into law in August 2021. It requires all schools K-12 that teach sex education to align their curriculum with certain standards, according to a press release.
"Modernizing our sex education standards will help keep our children safe and ensure important lessons like consent and internet safety are taught in classrooms," Pritzker said.
The new sex education curriculum will be based on the National Sex Education Standards, which teaches students in grades K-2 to define gender and gender identity, as well as gender-role stereotypes, and teach the students the medically accurate names for body parts, including genitals, Breakthrough Ideas reports.
Students in grades 3-5 will be taught about masturbation; hormonal development and the role of hormone blockers; the differences between cisgender, transgender and gender nonbinary; and the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity. Students in grades 6-8 will learn to define oral sex, anal sex and vaginal sex, and are instructed to identify at least four methods of contraception that are available without a prescription, such as condoms and emergency contraception. High school students will be taught about "reproductive justice," as well as how to differentiate between sex assigned at birth, gender identity and gender expression.
According to test scores from the most recent Illinois Assessment of Readiness, less than 20% of Chicago third graders can read or do math at grade-level proficiency, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Statewide, 38% of students read at grade level, according to Wirepoints.
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