So Inappropriate

Here we have an assignment involving underage drinking, unprotected sex, and contracting herpes--and no, it's not an assignment in health class, which would be bad enough.  No, it's a homework writing prompt for an eighth grader!

According to the parent, the superintendent said the assignment is part of the core curriculum and goes along with a book the students were given titled "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens."

The book is marketed as a "handbook to self-esteem and success" for teens.

Do I even need to list the myriad ways this assignment is just plain wrong?  If so we could start with age inappropriateness, the continual sexualization of younger and younger children, and the sickness of suggesting writing about getting an incurable disease, to start.  We might also throw in that while we know some students will drink, do drugs, have sex, and plenty of other things they probably shouldn't be doing (especially at 13!), do we at school have to suggest these activities?  

This goes back to my thoughts on appropriate dress (you're not at the beach), appropriate dancing at school dances (it's not a strip club), etc.  And yes, I believe that while our school health classes should teach about the reproductive system, we should emphasize abstinence.  Teaching students about specific sexual activities probably shouldn't be part of the public school curriculum (here are two examples)--neither should suggesting they write about the possible life-long effects of things they hopefully haven't been doing yet, especially not in 8th grade.

I've heard it said that "kids will be kids".  Well, they won't be kids at all if we keep encouraging hypersexualization, especially in school.