Safer schools

In the last year 7.6% of students between the ages of fifteen and nineteen were pregnant,  labeled “a serious problem” by Secretary of Public Education Alonso Lujambio , when announcing an expanded program an expanded public school program to promote condom use and “responsible sexual activity.”

(Milenio)

Mexico is something of a model for sex education and public access to birth control, so in itself, there is nothing radical or particularly surprising about this joint Public Education and Mexican Institute of Social Security (“social security” in Mexico having a much broader mandate, including public health, than U.S. readers might be tempted to think) policy. What does make it noteworthy is that Secretary Lujambio is being pushed as the more conservative choice among the PAN leadership as a possible presidential candidate in 2012.

Also worth mentioning is that this does nothing to assist those who have left school by age 14 (all too high a number, and one that appears to be rising under the present administration), and the same study showing the high pregnancy rate among students also reports an alarmingly high incidence of reported sexual harassment, the proposed program is said to address that.

Of course, for those who look to the United States for their clues on how things are done (or ought to be done), “responsible sexual activity” sometimes is an euphemism for “just say no” and indoctrination in a single model of sexuality. Neither of which work.