Chapter 4, Part II: Health Credit Through Correspondence

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t would be helpful if school districts would inform parents prior to students entering high school that students may take a correspondence courseÂ? through the state university as an alternative to attending a classroom health course for credit toward graduation.

A student’s advisor or counselor can help arrange the enroll­ment.� There is a charge for the course and its text.� The state of Missouri recognizes health correspondence courses from three different universities, including the University of Missouri’s Center for Independent Study.� A correspondence course� may be taken over the summer that allows time during the school year for an additional course.

In the past, the state of Missouri did not require a credit in health for a diploma.Â? However, SB380Â? and its School Improvement Program now require health education, services, follow-up, referrals, and record keeping to be provided by districts.

Health education is chockfull of valuesÂ? training.Â? Values training has always taken place at school, and it always will.Â? The questions to ask are:

- What values, and whose values?

- Is your student being taught:Â? to accept homosexual practices under the guise of cultural diversity?

- To accept abortionÂ? for reasons of population controlÂ? or under a false sense of compassion?

- To accept the myth of “safe sex” which can kill him/her as a consequence of a false sense of security?

- The false statement that the side effectsÂ? of contraceptivesÂ? are less than pregnancy (rhetoric perpetrated by Planned ParenthoodÂ? and population controllers).

- Is abstinence� getting only a patronizing “pat,” while contraception� is promoted as the “realistic” choice even though contraceptive pills offer no protection from life-altering sexually-transmitted diseases and possible death?

- How do you measure the outcome?

- How is that outcome scored or what is the standard?

- Who decides what the standard will be?

- How will my child be remediated?

- What if parent and state disagree on the standard or how it is measured in the classroom?

- Who has the ultimate authority over the child–parents or the state?

Classroom sex education� may desensitize students breaking down the natural sense of modesty they possess which protects them from premature sexual activity, especially at a time when their hormones are working “overtime.”

While opting out of particular portions of health class is possible, a correspondence course� relieves the pressure of possible questions from peers who may be inquisitive about why the student is leaving class during the “good parts.”� An “opt-in” policy is more conducive to a school environment of safe passage, and creates a more harmonious school/home/community relationship.

If the correspondence text undermines a family’s values, parents have the opportunity to compensate since they will know exactly what their student is being exposed to.� Classroom guest speakers, over whom parents have no control, may unintentionally undermine closely held family values.