Republicans "Provide Consistency in Sex Education"
Democrats "What About Female Students Experiencing Menstruation?"
Republican lawmakers in the Florida House of Representatives are reportedly pushing a bill to ban sex education in public elementary schools.
According to an AP report on the 18th (local time), the bill, introduced by Representative Stan Merklein, limits sex education in public schools to grades 6 through 12.
The U.S. school system is often organized with kindergarten (K grade) and grades 1?5 as elementary school, grades 6?8 as middle school, and grades 9?12 as high school. If the bill passes and is implemented, sex education will be banned for students from K through grades 1?5 in Florida.
The bill also includes provisions allowing parents to object to books and other materials their children encounter, requires schools to teach that human sexual identity is biologically determined at birth, and strengthens the state Department of Education’s review of educational materials used in frontline schools.
Representative Merklein explained, “The intent of this bill is to provide consistency in sex education across all 67 school districts in Florida, while expanding the avenues for parents to object to books and other materials they consider inappropriate for young children.”
Florida, led by Governor Ron DeSantis, who is considered a leading Republican presidential candidate, is traditionally more conservative than Texas and has recently been at the forefront of far-right legislation. Last May, Florida also banned education on sexual identity and gender issues from kindergarten through third grade.
Democratic Representative Ashley Gantt, a former public school teacher, criticized the bill at a public hearing, saying, “Some girls start menstruating in elementary school,” and asked, “Does that mean if a girl experiences menstruation in fourth or fifth grade, it cannot be mentioned at school?” According to the bill, a teacher who consults with a young girl who has started menstruating could face punishment.
In response, Representative Merklein agreed with Gantt’s point, stating, “That is not the legislative intent, so if necessary, I am willing to revise some of the wording.”
The bill passed the House subcommittee on ‘Quality of Education’ on the 15th with a vote of 13 to 5. Lawmakers mostly voted along party lines, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed.
For the bill to be brought before the full House, it must pass another committee. A similar bill is currently pending in the state Senate.
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