The Rhode Island
department of education has rejected a federally funded
abstinence-only sex education program offered by the
conservative group Heritage of Rhode Island, saying
that it falls far short of the state mandates for sex
education in Rhode Island public schools, The Providence
Journal reports. Peter McWalters, state education
commission, wrote on the department's Web site that
the HRI program was "not consistent with Rhode
Island health education standards" and as such
should not be offered in any public school in the
state. McWalters also will write to every state public
school to inform them that the abstinence-only
program is unacceptable. State sex education
requirements currently include instruction on condom use to
prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
HRI executive
director Chris Plante said the abstinence-only instruction
was not meant to replace current sex education programs in
the state but would only augment them. He also told
the Journal he was disappointed his agency's
abstinence program was rejected before HRI could meet with
state education officials to discuss a compromise that
would add abstinence instruction to the current sex-ed
curriculum. (The Advocate)
