The newspaper reported that 4-year-old New York City public school students are learning the ABCs of HIV in kindergarten through books that identify vulvas and penises.
The city’s HIV/AIDS curriculum, revamped in September, includes a book for 4- and 5-year-olds called “These Are My Eyes, These Are My Nose, These Are My Vulva, These Are My Toes.” This is a central lesson. Written by Rex “The Sex Doctor” Brown-James, a St. Louis-based sex educator and therapist.
“Some girls wear dresses and some don’t. Some girls have vulvas and some don’t,” the book says. It continues: “Some boys have penises, but not all boys have penises. To maintain good manners, always ask, ‘What can I call you?'” .
“EJ is neither a girl nor a boy. So it’s not a he or a she. Always use ‘they,’ ‘them,’ and ‘them’ to show that you care.” ”
This lesson includes videos from a book created and edited by Brown James specifically for New York City public schools, and lays the foundation for learning about the human immunodeficiency virus, which can cause AIDS in the future. Masu.
The K-12 program, Growing and Staying Safe: New York City’s K-12 HIV Education Curriculum, is the city’s response to state-mandated HIV/AIDS classes and is funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I am. .
“This is so inappropriate,” said Natalia Murakuvar, an Upper West Side mother and co-founder of the nonprofit Restore Childhood.
“This is graphic content, so I think if it’s going to be introduced, it should be introduced at home, not in schools,” she added.
A mother of a kindergartner in Brooklyn received a notice last week that her 5-year-old would be taking lessons, but she was not given the option to opt out.
I worry, “If my child is taught this much detail in kindergarten, what will happen in third and fourth grade?” she said.
In first grade, children learn that HIV can be transmitted through the blood and body fluids of an infected person.
The coronavirus is “easily transmissible,” while HIV is “less transmissible,” according to lesson plans and slide decks provided to teachers through the city’s WeTeachNYC portal.
Second grade students will learn about blood and drugs, and by third grade students are expected to be able to “summarize what HIV is and identify how it can and cannot be transmitted.”
Fourth graders learn that HIV can be particularly transmitted through drugs, tattoos, and unclean needles used for sexual contact.
Throughout March, credit-eligible “culturally responsive” webinars were offered to teachers through the Office of School Wellness Programs. Content includes “HIV Education: Exploring Curriculum Concepts and Skills” and “HIV Education: Strategies for Effective Instruction.”
The DOE released a revised K-12 curriculum in September, updating educational materials for the first time since 2012.
“This new HIV curriculum incorporates direct feedback from educator and student focus groups, is based on equity and anti-stigma, and is aligned with social-emotional learning competencies. ” said the school’s principal at the time, David Banks.
This reflects a “commitment to student health and well-being, inclusion and respect, and access to quality sexual health education,” Banks said.
