NBC Boston reports unanimous approval of updates to Massachusetts overall health and sex education

Massachusetts students will now obtain a far more inclusive sex and overall health education, following a unanimous vote by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. These updated curriculum frameworks aim to cover a variety of subjects like LGBTQ+ difficulties, bodily autonomy, mental and emotional overall health, dating security, nutrition, sexually transmitted infections, and consent. This is the very first update to the suggestions because 1999.

The new requirements are categorized into 4 age groups: pre-K via second grade, grades three-five, grades six-eight, and grades 9-12. For the youngest students, the concentrate is on wholesome consuming, anxiety management, hygiene habits, emergency response, advertising respect, bullying prevention, and the significance of taking medication when prescribed.

As students progress via their education, the suggestions incorporate modules on sex education, wholesome relationships, gender identity, substance abuse, human and sex trafficking awareness, and proof-primarily based physical education techniques.

This choice by the Board of Education follows a public comment period more than the summer time, through which the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education received almost five,400 comments. The proposal to update the state’s sex education suggestions was initially announced by Governor Maura Healey in June, aligning with prior legislation attempts that had failed in the Massachusetts Home.

When the Senate has previously passed the “Healthy Youth Act” aimed at updating sex education, complete bills addressing human anatomy, sexually transmitted illnesses, HIV and AIDS, contraception, dating violence, and gender and sexual identity repeatedly failed to pass in the Home.