Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-11-20
TEACHING SEX HYGIENE.

CSSF!ISS S6N
There has been considerable dis
cussiou On the question of teaching
{ hygiene II the public schools
The advantage OF increased knowl-
edge for the children. as well as the
practical difficulties of presenting this
subject properly. have been comment
ed Oh from various points Of view.
There has been little effort, however,
10 secure an expression Of opinion
from those TiLally interested, namely.
the parents and t1e children them
series. For this reason. the report
Of the Bureau Of Research of the Up
per Peninsula {Michigan1 Education
al Association, recently issued, is Of
interest This bureau was organized
TO make a direct study Of the schools
OF the Upper Peninsula OF Michigan,
their equipment AID their methods
and material for study. 1t is al pres
emf endearoring 10 discover the
points strength and weakness Of the
schools. as Judged 10y the parents and
others interested in them. The re-
port just issued is divided into four
sections: Moral education. physical
education. Industrial education. and
general The basis for the report is
the individual opinions OF 81 repre-
sentative citizens. Under the first
head, among many other subjects dis
clssed, the question was asked OF pa
rents. DO you believe that sex ny
giene should be taught in the
schools" To this question ninety
two replied yes" waiie i75 opposed
such Instruction.: six made qualified
replies. Commenting on these an
,swers. the report says that the Re.
plies indicate that patrons Of schools
are not ready as yet to have sexhy.
giene taught in the schools. Doubt.
less but few teachers are qualified 10
teach the subject we'll" says the re.
port. and to teach it poorly would
be much worse than lot TO teach il
at all The bureau also endeavor.
ed TO get the point of view of the pu-
pill. AT Houghton. two lectures on
sex hygiene were given TO boys and
two to girls. Some time after the
lectures, the boys and girls were seq
regated and were asked: Did You
learn anything Of value al the last
lecture on sex hygiene?7 Ninety
boys stated that they had learned
something Of value and eight that
they had not. while ffty-four girls
regarded the lecture Of value and
twenty did not. When asked: DO
you favor another Lecturer" eight-ive
boys were in favor of further instruc-
ton and thirteen were opposed TO it.
while ~forty-four girls were in favor
and thirty were opposed TO the prop
ositien- This report says the Jour
nal of the American Medical Assoc3a-
alton. emphasizes the points which
have been previously brought ont;
until We know what should De taught
pupils al different ages, until We have
formulated a definite graded course
OF instruction and have trained teach,
ers to give this instruction, the prop
osition for teaching sex hygiene il.
the public schools should be ap.
preached with the utmost caution. fn
40 case should AN effort be made to
force such instruction On the pupils
or on the community. When the par
ents of children are convinced. by a
large majority, of the ACCESSIBILITY OF
such instruction, it should be provid
ed. Premature efforts to place such
objects on the school curriculum in
advance of public opinion can only
cause misunderstanding and trouble