It is an absolute - NO

When will "they" realize that the social engineering by public entities like government and schools that was started in the 1960s has been a total disaster upon our society.The US public education system is falling behind the rest of the industrialized world. Maybe the schools should focus on educating the kids instead of sticking their noses into the kids sex lives.

Heck no for more reasons than I can list the major its against my Religion. Yes I'm Catholic and the government has no right to violate my religious beliefs. Have you ever heard of the Constitution???? If it is provided by the school the tax payers are paying for it which includes me. Birth Control is not the answer better parenting is the answer and instilling morals might help. Kids have no place having sex.

This is precisely why the United States rankings in math science and English are abysmal. Here's a novel idea, the Department of Education can stick to educating our children and the parents can parent!

Tricky question. While we would like to think high school kids aren't having sex reality is they are starting as early as middle school. Being a teacher myself, I know the direction parenting has gone over the years and I agree (for once) with Bill about instilling morals to kids. I don't want my tax money going to buy contraceptives for teens. That's kind of endorsing the act as acceptable in my eyes. If it is funded without tax dollars I might change my tune a little bit as long as a phone call goes home every time a student takes one to clue the parents in.

The question wasn't "Should kids have sex?" The question was, "Should schools make sure that those kids who are (wrongly) having sex make sure that at least they have access to birth control?" The answer to this actual question is, "Of course."
What's the alternative... that they create another human being?
That's an unacceptable way to punish either the kids for having sex or the parents for their alleged failure.
There is nothing wrong with thinking that teens should not have sex. What IS wrong is thinking that denying them birth control will prevent this. Denying birth control is a guarantee of more unwanted pregnancies and more STDs.

What is WRONG Jonathan is your thinking the role of the school is to provide contraception!

Our sex ed programs are inadequate because they focus primarily, if not exclusively, on the mechanics (I.e. the biology) and the dangers of sex. But all our teens know that being an adult includes a healthy and enjoyable sex life--and of course they aspire to be adults. And in many ways (especially physically) they are. Sex ed classes need also to focus on the pleasures and responsibilities of sex. They need to admit, from the start, that sex is, in a proper context, good. Is this a conversation we're mature and saavy enough to have with our kids? If so, an important chapter in the discussion would be on lubrication. Without it, sex hurts a woman. A discussion about lubrication importantly requires that one include the woman's legitimate and necessary needs. That is, it would include a discussion about how to talk to women, how to treat women, and how to respect women. Not too many teen age males have a clue about this and, if their fathers are ignorant of it--they surely will be unable to pass along anything useful or helpful to their sons.
Thus in a very real way, the future of healthy marriages depends upon teens learning all about lubrication when they first learn about sex.

Dear Mom,
Parents should provide contraception. But if they don't, someone has to or there will be a tragedy.

You don't get it. THis is NOT the role of government!!!! You can pontificate until the cows come home. And Lubrication? Are you for real? don't want to sound mean but you're quite a wingnut!

Absolutely not. I'm not concerned with it "promoting sex" or "on religious grounds". It isn't the school's responsibility. It is between the parents and the child. This is just way too much interference of governmental agentcies into our personal lives. If kids want condoms they can purchase them at any store. If they want birth control they need to get parental consent. If they want to do neither they are going to deal with the outcome.

Ahh, if only the parents did parent. I think if parents have an open line of communication with their children, then maybe they'd have the opportunity to provide them with birth control. Lets face it, though-that isn't the reality most of the time. Having it available for them in the nurses office is a good idea-just maybe not out of taxpayer monies. We can talk all we want about "mature adults, committed relationships.....", but that is far from reality-that is a warped sense of thinking . Sometimes school is the place that kids would rather be and a place where they feel more comfortable than at home. If that's the case, then I'd like to think the nurse or counselor would be able to help them with whatever they might have going on in their lives.
And, when used properly and as prescribed, these various methods of birth control are pretty darn effective.

I think they should. A lot of kids are too embarrassed to go out and actually buy methods of birth control. Sure it's free at some clinics and such but the school would be a great resource for them.

When I was in school for condoms I would say yes. For pills and medications with side effects an absolute no, because that should be something discussed between parents and doctors, if it is safe for the teen to go on the pill. However today, since everything is pointed at mom and dad for what a child does, then it should be the parents providing the birth control and a parent has every right to know what their child is doing.

It's amazing how soon we forget what it is like to be 16 and in love for the first time. Is there any more irrational creature? Even with the best parenting, informative and available education, and access to birth control at the pharmacy and planned parenthood those hormones will lead the smartest kid down a path full of land mines. AND It has always been the parents who were the most strict who were "shocked" to find their "true love waits" daughter pregnant-at least that's how it was in my day. parents always want to pretend that their child won't be the one who would do anything against their wishes/beliefs, but time and again it's not the case.
I'm not sure how to deal with birth control in schools, but you are a fool to think that the government, whether republican or democratically lead, will spend your money in a way that you always approve, in fact, on any given issue about 50% of our tax paying public will be unhappy.

Are we talking distribution of condoms to everyone in a class talking about sex education, or are we talking about a nurse handing a condom to a student in a confidential setting when it's totally clear that it's needed and appropriate? I would support the latter.

Just who (or what) is going to fund this program? The money has to come from somewhere to pay for the items, the communication, and the administration of the program. Sure, we could have a sponsor...but I don't think a condom banner in the school or at the football stadium is a trade-off for free goods. (Picture it in your head...it would be absolutely hilarious though!)

I don't see a problem with providing condoms to protect school students from STDs and unwanted pregnancy. Best way to stop abortions is to stop unwanted pregnancies.

Taxpayers pay for different programs for single teen-aged mothers and their children-why not try to prevent it in the first place by providing them with the appropriate support and guidance they need in school?

I find this blog interesting. Very few have addressed the issue of the chemical effects this places ONLY on the female, not to mention the promotion of STD's as a multitude of research has shown that if the girl is on the pill, they are less likely to use a condom. Today school nurses cannot hand out aspirin, tylenol, and we must sign an act of Congress to offer peanut butter or other allergic items in cafeterias, however there are those that believe school nurses should have the ability to hand out oral contraceptives! NICE! And as a society we wonder how we have become what we have become. "Let somebody else take the responsibility"! And when little Julie gets the contraceptive, and it fails, and she ends up pregnant, is the school liable! Or what if little Julie has a chemical or hormonal response to the chemical offered to her body, and she finds herself hospitalized, who gave her these chemicals? Attorneys will have a field day! Parents should parent, and the job doesn't end once little Julie begins to menstrate, it gets considerably more complex! But apparently some parents are realizing that the 30 seconds of bliss isnt worth the 18 years of responsibility, and are now passing that on to their children! Amazing, and I didnt even get into the cost!

I do not believe a school should administer BC without the consent of the parents, but I do believe if the parents sign a permission slip it could be done. Just like dental exams are done at school to help busy parents and low income families, I believe the same could be done for BC

I am a little curious as to the funding though.... there are more important things the schools need to worry about, BC is a parents financial issue, shouldn't be the schools.....

well since everyone is entitled to their own opinion.... so if a school is going to do that, they should send home a letter to everyones parents and if a parent agrees they should sign it and send it back and if a parent doesnt agree, they just dont send it back.
solves that problem
but as tax payers.... were already paying soo much what is a little more going to hurt.. taxes increase anyways for stupid reasons.....

Unequivocal NO!..Let them provide their own contraceptions...A line is drawn...Adults do the talking, children do the walking (and accountability), and have those involved suffer the consequences.

Many times school is the only place a child can turn to when in need. I think the schools should keep condoms handy for kids who need them. I definitely don't think schools should distribute any other form of contraception.

I have to say that I have read some very good points in both directions for this argument. I agree that it is the parents RESPONSIBILITY to talk to their child about birth control, but what about those parents that don't, don't care, or were teenage parents themselves. I also agree that having access to birth control in schools should come at the expense of taxpayers but what about the expense we are already paying for the number of teenagers giving birth who do not have insurance. That is estimated at $9 billion a year. I also agree that if teenagers want to have sex they should be responsible for getting it themselves but what if they do not have the money? This isn't going to keep them from having sex. I agree that sex should occur in a committed relationship, but this is not how teens think. Sex is a casual thing. I also agree that for some kids schools are their safe haven. It is where they feel comfortable and have people that they know care about them. For those who feel that schools should just focus on just educating, let me tell you that is impossible. The number of students that come to school from a two parent family with steady income and are involved in their child's life is shrinking. The number of students that are on free or reduced plans, come from single parent homes, see illegal activity daily, do not have meals at home, have parents in jail or have legal records of their own are growing. How can schools just educate when problems are bigger.