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economist suntribune opinion thursday april 112002 hey teachers time to lighten up on sex education it looks to me like theres a canadian move afoot to demystify sex apparently children and their parents in new brunswick want more sex education in schools and they want it delivered by less uptight teachers so says a recent study sponsored by that province when it comes to won derful things in life includ- ing healthy sex how new brunswick goes so goes the country bureaucrats listen up a canadawide survey isnt needed theres no need to waste our precious tax dol lars trying to find out if the rest of the country wants a more informed and relaxed approach to sex lets just take new brunswick word for it save 172 zillion then shift our interest and energy to rewrite canadas sexeduca tion curriculum at the same time lets come up with ways to loosen up our teachers on thing is for sure if teachers are uncomfortable theyll only teach the minimum they wont encourage dis cussion they wont want the students to ask the hard ques tions and theyll avoid the contro versial stuff in the survey i saw thousands of my three sons couldnt get away from their mother and her pressing subject of sex fast enough joan ransberry once did they state suggest or imply that sex was shameful unlike many of my friends i was never made to feel sex was dirty i thank them for that while weve come a long way in the past half century we have yet to perfect sex education so i applaud new brunswick for demanding major improvements to sex education parents are concerned about their childrens health and they know theyre not doing a very good job teach ing the basics i raised three boys and two girls i made sure they knew the proper names for their genitals when i explained how babies were made i stressed that the act of sex was to be wrapped in respect dignity and responsibili ty- while better then the avoid- ignore approach taken by parents parents and students were it was still inadequate asked to rate sex education asil exists and to suggest changes based on public sentiment a rethink to sex- ed is long overdue more then half the kids surveyed gave afailing grade to teach ers and parents apparently adults par ents and teachers alike remain ill at ease when talk ing about the birds and the bees this should shock no one lets roll the clock back 50 years we had sexed in our schools in the 1950s it was simple to the point and swift dont do it at home the situation was worse if i asked my dad about sex his answer was always the same have you tended to your chores meanwhile my mother just smiled indi cating she had gas however i must tip my hat to mom and dad not most of the parents in the 1960s and 70s split the sex task the moms talked to the girls and the dads talked to the boys nobody knew what was said to the other if there was no mom or no dad it was tough luck for the samesex kids i took a more liberal approach i tried to talk to my boys while i wasnt- embarrassed they were my three sons couldnt get away from their mother and her pressing subject of sex fast enough my sons are now 41 39 and 35 1 have no idea what they how know about sex instead my focus is on my childrens children i want my nine grandkids to be given quality sex edu cation and i want it deliv- ered by happy healthy and broadminded teachers asthma we can help call the lung association tfleujnoassoclalkn 5s6sgffiggyr ibeerk making 4 one or the reasonsthattourstoreis apopularv spot tobuy meat- notonlydo weeu aninterestuig variety of ineat itsconginal form weseuvit seasdnedand vready to tcboklas zweuour r flank steaks are rapnme examplec theyve been marinated j m our homemade brewl and theyre readyxto jbbq broil a iriff jbakei r wliichever is easier one steak usually cit serves 3 or 4- this rweek itkisrls the bestt eatingf broccoli thatl wexan buy and its i ffood for vbu too mcf good for youtbo from earthbound farm ah jgaliforhia y f siwislelbl seryedthem upinavanetyof saucesothe first is v 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