Should Family Life Education Be Required for High School Students?: An Examination of the Issues

Abstract

This paper is an outgrowth of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) concern for effective public policy and was commissioned to examine the number 1 priority issue from the 1983 Public Policy Survey: Requiring high school students to take a course in family life 88% of the NCFR members responding to this survey agreed with this issue while 12% disagreed. This paper reviews and critiques the scholarly literature relevant to this issue and examines the major arguments both for and against requiring high school students to take a course in family life education. The Gallup Opinion Polls reported that in 1978 77% approved of the teaching of sex education in the high schools. Numerous surveys have indicated that many schools offer little or no family life education and that what is offered is often an elective for students. Family life education has been purported to have both positive and negative impacts on student knowledge attitudes and behaviors. Findings suggest that while family life education and sex education may not accomplish all of the goals established by the proponents of such education neither does it have the negative impact perceived by the opponents. There is also little evidence to answer empirical questions concerning the values dimension of family life education. It is clear that empirical and philosophical investigation of the question will be a continuing need.