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Q&A
Implementation of comprehensive sexual health education across grade levels
0:42:47
·
77 sec
Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about the steps taken to implement comprehensive sexual health education across all grades in NYC public schools. Despina Zaharakis explains that:
- Grades 2, 4, and 5 focus on growth rather than sexual health education
- Grades 6 through 12 include comprehensive sexual health education as part of health education
- The DOE tries to ensure all students receive health education, but doesn't capture specific sexual health lessons within the curriculum
- HIV lessons are captured separately as they must be taught every year
Rita Joseph
0:42:47
Thank you.
0:42:49
Just a couple of questions.
0:42:51
What specific steps have New York City public schools taken to ensure comprehensive sexual health education is being implemented across all grades?
Despina Zaharakis
0:43:02
So comprehensive, in grades 2, 4, and 5, the students are studying, growth, not necessarily sexual health education.
0:43:15
Correct?
0:43:16
Sarah's our health education expert.
0:43:19
In grades 6 through 12, comprehensive sexual health education is included as part of health education.
0:43:29
We try to ensure all students receive that health education.
0:43:34
Unfortunately, we do not capture the lessons on sexual health education within the health education curriculum.
0:43:44
Why not?
0:43:46
We don't Good question.
0:43:49
We don't really capture lessons within a particular curriculum.
0:43:54
We do capture, for example, HIV lessons because they're separate and must be taught every year, etcetera.
0:44:00
Sexual health is part of comprehensive health education.