JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – The Jackson Township School District is allowing families to opt out of the controversial state mandate sex education course that has been reported in news reports over the past few years.
The course study include pregancy and parenting, social and sexual health, puberty, reproductive systems, pregnancy stages, sexual inclusiveness, relationships and healthy sexual decision making.
Families were notified by email on January 11th that they have until January 17th to opt out of the curriculum which lasts between 3 to 5 days.
“We encourage students to participate in this unit of study, as learning developmentally appropriate information with peers in a safe environment helps to create a culture of respect and understanding about these important topics,” the district said. “We also acknowledge that parents/guardians are the primary educators of health topics for their child/children and we are committed to partnering with you to provide supplementary information to support you in this role.”
The controversial state curriculum will teach children about vaginal, oral and anal sex, contraceptives and how diseases can spread through the various forms of sex.
Students will also be introduced to the term “transgender”.
“Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the gender they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc. This term is an adjective. Using this term as a verb (i.e., transgendered) or noun (i.e., transgenders) is offensive and should be avoided,” the state curriculum states.
Students are also expected to learn about gender transitioning.
“Gender Transition means a process during which a person begins to live according to their gender identity, rather than the gender they were thought to be at birth,” the state DOE said in the course outline. “Gender transition looks different for every person. Possible steps in a gender transition may or may not include changing one’s New Jersey Department of Education June 2020 37 clothing, appearance, and name, and in some cases, changing identification documents or undergoing medical treatments. The steps each person takes depends on their individual needs and access to resources.”
Other topics to be discussed include gender binary, gender expression, gender identity, gender non-conforming, homosexuality, LGBTQI, Queer, AIDS, sexual orientations and sexually transmitted diseases.
“Parents/guardians have the option to withdraw their child from the unit of study on parenting and pregnancy and social and sexual health,” the Jackson School District said. “If you wish to exercise this option, please do the following by January 17th, 2023. Email your child’s Health teacher at pmnovak@jacksonsd.org no later than January 17th, 2023. Please include the words OPT OUT in the subject line of your email.”