COMPARISON OF BELIEFS ABOUT THE FAMILY-LIFE EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Local Parent Teacher Association (PTA) presidents in a southeastern state were surveyed to determine which topics should be included in the family life education curriculum of public schools and when the information should be introduced. Attitudes about acceptable sexual behavior, school health services, and resolutions to teenage pregnancy were also evaluated. Responses were compared with similar data gathered in a study conducted 12 years earlier. Increased support for family life education was evidenced, as well as increased support for behavioral interventions related to AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and teen pregnancy. In comparison, support declined for some traditional topics such as going steady, engagement, living together, and religious influences on sex. Responses supported K-12 family life education, with the bulk of instruction targeted at the middle school grades.