Did this teacher cross the line?

[Magpie]

Sex quiz has teacher in hot water
By QMI Agency

ST-HUBERT, Que. — A teacher has been suspended after she gave her Grade 8 students a sexually explicit multiple-choice test that included questions about anal sex, lesbian encounters and ***** sizes.

Several parents filed complaints after students at Andre-Laurendeau High School, on Montreal’s south shore, were asked whether or not “blacks have bigger *****es” or if they agreed that “all sexual positions are comfortable.”

Students were also asked questions about sperm, anal sex and lesbian sex.

The school board has now opened an administrative investigation. School board director Andre Byette told QMI Agency that the exam was too explicit for young teens, adding that the teacher wrote the test herself as part of a religion and ethics course.

“I find the questionnaire dubious, even for college students,” said Byette. “We do not approve of the content of certain questions. How does this help the sexual education of students? It’s totally unacceptable.”

The school withdrew the test following a parent’s complaint and ordered the teacher to stop teaching sexual education to students.


When confronted by her bosses, the teacher said her test was aimed at fighting society’s prejudicial views about sexuality. More parents then came forward, prompting the suspension.

Two sexologists contacted by QMI Agency were split about the value of the test.

Julie Pelletier, a Quebec psychotherapist and sex columnist, said the quiz was “inappropriate for the students of that age group.”

She says the elimination of sex-ed courses in Quebec has led to teachers taking their own, sometimes ill-advised, initiatives.

But sexologist Jocelyne Robert had a different view. She says the teacher has been convicted prematurely and was only telling teens about sexual issues they’re already seeing on the Internet and talking about in the schoolyard.

She says that sexual practices like sodomy and fellatio are not foreign to 13-year-olds.

“It’s there, it’s not anecdotal, it’s very known to young people,” she told QMI Agency.

“They see it wall to wall on the Internet. If we don’t talk about it, we’re sort of putting our heads in the sand.”


http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2010/12/01/16389596.html

I'm very much in favor of comprehensive sex ed programs for teens. But I absolutely cannot support a teacher taking it on herself to tackle the subject in a "religion and ethics" course without parental consent. Not even if it's because of "the elimination of sex-ed courses in Quebec". (Which is a crying shame, if it's true.)

All in all, this sounds like a terrible way to teach sex ed, and the parents have a right to be outraged.

Besides, what could the "right" answer to "all sexual positions are comfortable" possibly be? Has the teacher tried them all? How would she know?

 

[OceanAnnie]

I think she crossed more than one line.

 

[kirstenb1]

Whoa, this is such a complex area....there definitely needs to be a committee of experts, not the least of which, is teachers, child psychologists/psychiatrists, school nurses, parents, social workers, etc. A teacher really opens him/herself up to a lawsuit, tackling this solo.

 

[kidzmom3]

"She says that sexual practices like sodomy and fellatio are not foreign to 13-year-olds."



I don't bury my head in the sand and am very frank about sex to my kids. I know that they do not know what sodomy is!!!


Completely inappropriate

 

[LukenDC]

I am 100% supportive of comprehensive sex ed and believe that this teacher went way too far. I'd complain if I had a student in her class.

 

[3smithboys]

I am a Middle School teacher, and I have a 12 y.o. DS... he knows that he can come to DH or me to discuss anything... I also am in favor of sex education in school, but that it way out of line...

 

[lajones81]

Yikes! Way out of line!

 

[LuvLDM]

I am 100% supportive of comprehensive sex ed and believe that this teacher went way too far. I'd complain if I had a student in her class.

Agreed.

 

[PaulaSB12]

When it comes to sex education most people will say that they will tell their children anything many will not. The questions the teacher had are questions the kids are probably asking themselves if not the teacher. Personally when it comes to sex education the kids should be allowed to ask any question and get an honest answer straight away otherwise who are they going to trust?

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I don't understand how this is part of her course subject.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I don't think the test itself would be problematic for that age as part of a sex education course. It seems pretty clearly designed to point out how outrageous some myths and prejudices are and to dispel any doubt bout their validity (or lack thereof) and the topics ARE things most 8th graders have at least heard about through the school grapevine.

HOWEVER, as part of a religion/ethics class, this is totally out of place and inappropriate. If the teacher wants to fight sex-education being dropped from the curriculum, involving the kids in this way is NOT the right way to go about it. Walking into an ethics class students would not be prepared to talk about such issues (and, especially at that age, this is too embarrassing of a topic for most kids to handle flat out with no warning), nor would parents be prepared to discuss issues and answer questions from their children when they came home. It is just VERY unfair of the teacher to put the students and parents into the position of dealing with this when it is not the class they are in.

I do not think it is right to drop sex ed from schools, and I can understand the teacher's frustration with that but I cannot condone how she went about trying to change things. So, yes, she did cross a line (or two or three).

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Does anyone find it ironic that she made up this test for a religious/ethics class?

Now yes, should they be discussing sex ed, sure, but from a reality standpoint, probably better left to the internet and the school bathroom. I don't think most parents want to find out that their kids are discussing such topics in 8th grade.

 

[TinklednPants]

"She says that sexual practices like sodomy and fellatio are not foreign to 13-year-olds."



I don't bury my head in the sand and am very frank about sex to my kids. I know that they do not know what sodomy is!!!


Completely inappropriate

Actually, while I think the teacher was out of line, I think her sentiment about what 13 year olds are aware of is on the money. Many 13 year olds are MORE than aware (if you catch my drift).

 

[shortbun]

Actually, while I think the teacher was out of line, I think her sentiment about what 13 year olds are aware of is on the money. Many 13 year olds are MORE than aware (if you catch my drift).

While I agree with you on this, there are kids who are a few years older who are not really that mature. I'm not sure how I feel about this class and this teacher. If I could see the test and determine for instance if she was helping them to dispell myths versus facts...maybe I'd be ok with it.

My point is that kids that age start and circulate all kinds of rumors as facts. Perhaps that was the point of this part of the exam. The questions cited could easily be that. just sayin'

 

[Rora]

While I know that most kids know about this stuff (or think they know/pretend to know), she certainly crossed a line. A lot of lines.

Inappropriate.

 

[luvsJack]

Actually, while I think the teacher was out of line, I think her sentiment about what 13 year olds are aware of is on the money. Many 13 year olds are MORE than aware (if you catch my drift).

I think that would depend on the group of 13 year olds that you are around.

12 and 13 year olds definitly need some to talk to, whether it be a parent or a teacher, but it needs to be about what is going on within their minds and bodies and how to deal with that. NOT if all sex positions are comfortable or if certain people have bigger body parts. And ANY discussion should be at the permission of the parents.

 

[Jennasis]

The teacher was certainly out of line.

FTR, I am a fan of teaching comprehensive sex ed. Her test would be fine with me if it was part of a sex ed or health class.

 

[Magpie]

"She says that sexual practices like sodomy and fellatio are not foreign to 13-year-olds."



I don't bury my head in the sand and am very frank about sex to my kids. I know that they do not know what sodomy is!!!


Completely inappropriate

They may, or they may not. But as eighth graders they're sure not going to tell you, if they do!

My son first heard about fellatio on the kindergarten school bus, thanks to another little boy with teenaged siblings. He came home all wide-eyed saying, "IS THIS TRUE!?" I'm ashamed to say that my knee-jerk reaction was, "Of course not, that's ridiculous!" So much for me having taught sex ed to other people's kids... (But my students were fifth graders!)

My daughter read about sodomy in a book when she was eleven - the book was "It's Perfectly Normal" and is part of the Grade 5 sex ed curriculum at our church. Selected sections of the book are intended to be read at home with the children's parents. My daughter's the only 5th grader I know who actually read the entire book on her own. Both editions. And then started parsing the changes between the two editions, including the introduction of gender neutral language regarding anal intercourse in the newest edition.

My daughter's weird. She wants to be a doctor. HOWEVER, there's a very good chance she's educated more than one kid in her classes at school, with regards to the intimate workings of the human body. Your kids might very well know someone like her.

When it comes to sex education most people will say that they will tell their children anything many will not. The questions the teacher had are questions the kids are probably asking themselves if not the teacher. Personally when it comes to sex education the kids should be allowed to ask any question and get an honest answer straight away otherwise who are they going to trust?

See, I agree with you completely that parents tend not to do a great job at teaching sex ed (and I include myself in that group!), and I'm all in favor of "asking any question and getting an honest answer". But I seriously doubt these kids were going up to their teacher and asking these questions. I think she took it on herself to enlighten them, and that's a problem. She didn't have the right.

If she wanted to address a lack in the educational system, she should have started after school classes on her own. I think many parents would have been grateful to sign their kids up.

 

[NHdisneylover]

The teacher was certainly out of line.

FTR, I am a fan of teaching comprehensive sex ed. Her test would be fine with me if it was part of a sex ed or health class.

This is what I was trying to say--but much shorter and to the point

They may, or they may not. But as eighth graders they're sure not going to tell you, if they do!

My son first heard about fellatio on the kindergarten school bus, thanks to another little boy with teenaged siblings. He came home all wide-eyed saying, "IS THIS TRUE!?" I'm ashamed to say that my knee-jerk reaction was, "Of course not, that's ridiculous!" So much for me having taught sex ed to other people's kids... (But my students were fifth graders!)

My daughter read about sodomy in a book when she was eleven - the book was "It's Perfectly Normal" and is part of the Grade 5 sex ed curriculum at our church. Selected sections of the book are intended to be read at home with the children's parents. My daughter's the only 5th grader I know who actually read the entire book on her own. Both editions. And then started parsing the changes between the two editions, including the introduction of gender neutral language regarding anal intercourse in the newest edition.

My daughter's weird. She wants to be a doctor. HOWEVER, there's a very good chance she's educated more than one kid in her classes at school, with regards to the intimate workings of the human body. Your kids might very well know someone like her.



See, I agree with you completely that parents tend not to do a great job at teaching sex ed (and I include myself in that group!), and I'm all in favor of "asking any question and getting an honest answer". But I seriously doubt these kids were going up to their teacher and asking these questions. I think she took it on herself to enlighten them, and that's a problem. She didn't have the right.

If she wanted to address a lack in the educational system, she should have started after school classes on her own. I think many parents would have been grateful to sign their kids up.

Mine read the whole book in 5th too. There are informed kids out there--my concern is more with the ones who think they are well informed and spread false info. You should have heard the stories DD encountered at camp the summer she was 11

 

[mjkacmom]

Really? Your kids don't know how male homosexuals engage in sexual activity? They've never heard kids discussing this, or teasing each other? Heck, ds12's friend recently got upset because his fellow band member stuck his drumstick close to his butt, and referenced the act.