Edweek.org
2.20.15 | Evie Blad

State and district policies on sex education are a perenniel source of debates. Should schools teach about contraceptives? Should they promote abstinence? Should they mandate certain training for sex education teachers?

An issue that gets a little less attention is if and how schools should seek parental consent before teaching their children about sex.

In Kansas, for example, lawmakers are considering a bill that would forbid schools from teaching students about sex and sexuality without first getting written permission from a parent or guardian. The bill would also require schools to provide materials and course syllabi to parents if requested.

If the bill passes, Kansas would join just three other states that have similar "opt-in," or "affirmative consent," laws—Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, according to the Guttmacher Institute. A much more common approach, in place in 35 states, is to allow parents to opt their children out of sex education and to offer it to all students whose parents don't object, an approach known as "passive consent," the organization says.

So what difference does it make? A lot, advocates for comprehsive sex education say.

At a spirited Kansas House committee meeting this week that included multiple references to the popular novel 50 Shades of Grey, supporters of the "opt-in" mandate said it would help preserve parental rights, a story in the Topeka Capital-Journal says.

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