A new state health curriculum allows classroom demonstrations and practice using a condom.
That’s not going to happen in Clarkston, however.
‘We didn’t want that,? said Carla Teare, Clarkston High School teacher and member of the Reproductive Health Advisory Council, which reviewed the curriculum.
‘We felt that was against community standards at this time.?
Also, state law forbids schools from passing out condoms to students, so the teacher would have to make sure all the prophylactics were collected after the lesson.
‘We decided that didn’t make sense,? Teare said.
Clarkston Board of Education approved the revised curriculum Oct. 8.
The council includes teachers, parents, clergy, and other members of the community. They rejected two lessons from the grade 9-12 physical education/health curriculum: the condom demonstration and a lesson including homework.
The assignment would have required students to go to local stores to learn about condom brands and prices.
‘We didn’t feel it was our job to have kids go out on an assignment like this,? Teare said.
Clarkston will continue to use a curriculum based on abstinence, relationships, and responsibility, she said.
Condoms will be discussed as one way to reduce risk. According to the latest Youth Risk Assessment survey, 42.2 percent of Clarkston respondents grades 9-12 said they had sex.
‘It’s built around abstinence,? she said. ‘But we know some kids are not going to be responsible.?
The new curriculum should help reduce that percentage, Teare said.
‘It should make a difference in future statistics,? she said.

Michigan Model?

The Michigan Model was established in 1985, as a cooperative effort of seven state agencies: Public Health, Education, Mental Health, Social Services, Office of Highway Safety Planning, State Police and Substance Abuse. These agencies worked together on curriculum focusing on disease prevention and health promotion messages.
? Michigan Model for Health