Posted on 02/10/2007 11:50:15 PM PST by stainlessbanner
ROCKVILLE, Md. - Counseling officials in Maryland are being heavily criticized for introducing a lesson to four different schools – in which students were supposed to chew and pass around the same piece of gum.
The lesson was created by the Rockville (Md.) pregnancy counseling center in order to show students how easily sexually transmitted diseases are spread from person to person.
A speaker from the counseling center asked students to chew the same piece of gum to see how many would be willing to do it. School officials say at least 100 students participated in the exercise, but not all of them chewed the gum.
The county’s director of school health services called the lesson unsanitary and unacceptable. Many parents were also angered by the issue.
School officials say employees from the counseling center will not be asked to speak to their students again in the future.
ping
I am shaking my head over this. I think common sense is gone or going at an alarming speed. Those managers need common sense training. If somebody grabbed me up and tried that bs on me or one of my children he would get a swift kick in the privates and his hand stuck in the fryer. Shaking my head again. Thanks for the link..I never saw that one. ~Pandora~
Some like this just need a "behind" kicking
As stupid as this stunt was .. they proved one point .. some kids were stupid enough to go along with it
Hey, they're just swapping the spit that homeschooled Americans won't...
The group that introduced the 'Gum Game' to area schools says it has been using the controversial lesson for nine years, and never had a complaint -- until now.
Gail Tierney, executive director of the Rockville Pregnancy Center, says her group has been sending speakers into Montgomery County classrooms, and using the 'Gum Game' as an exercise to teach about peer pressure and sexually transmitted diseases....
But Tierney says school officials knew about the game. When the center submitted an application to come into the schools and offer speakers nine years ago, Tierney says the group submitted all the materials and brochures that would be used in the lessons.
Asked whether the health teachers knew about the 'Game' last week, Edwards told WTOP that school officials were looking into it. But Tierney showed WTOP teacher feedback sheets that indicated not only were teachers present, but they had monitored the lessons closely, offering an evaluation the lessons.
And in more than one case, the teachers pointed to the 'Gum Game' as a highlight of the lesson. On one sheet from a class that took place Jan. 5, teachers were asked, "What was the most valuable point in the program?" One teacher responded: "The student involvement, especially the decision making/peer pressure (gum chewing)."...
How do you figure that the dumb kids who chewed the gum are not going to indulge in sex? If they chewed someone else's gum they are DUMB! They have no sense whatsoever. This isn't going to teach them anything unless they caught something.
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If they are already having random oral sex with their fellow students sharing a little gum is not likely to worry them.
No.
The whole thing is just gross. What really upsets me is I am sure some of these adults or teachers must have been against this...yet didn't stop it. This is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of. Its surely not the way I would teach children about STD's and not to have sex. We fund groups like this and it really gets me angry....~~P~~
I know all about that program and I find no problem with it. NJ had it but they didn't spend the night. I don't think we have it anymore though and its a shame. My oldest daughter had to attend it when she got caught with drugs ...it scared her for a little while . Finally leaving her arse in jail when she was 18 yrs old worked. I have no problems with DARE programs or Scared Straight ...I just don't want some moron telling my child to chew germy used gum or show her movies telling her what a diverse family is or that its ok to be gay.
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