New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) on April 13th ordered the state’s education department to evaluate the state’s brand-new sexual-education framework in action to parental blowback over concerns about its age suitability. Critics, consisting of some Republican lawmakers, stated that the requirements expose young kids to principles of gender identity and sexual orientation when they are not yet mature adequately to comprehend them.
“At a time when we must prioritize student mental health and academic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is paramount that our standards also promote inclusivity and respect for every child, including LGBTQ youth,” Murphy wrote Wednesday in a statement. “In New Jersey, parents always have and always will have a say in their child’s education, which includes opting their child out of any health lesson that they would rather discuss in the privacy of their own home.”
Murphy seems trying to strike a balance between the views of both parties on parental engagement in education. He stated New Jersey will be welcoming to parents’ input while holding the progressive line in preserving a dedication to “gender inclusivity” in K- 12.
“I think there’s some sort of sense that parents have no say, and I would just say emphatically that parents deserve absolutely to have a say in this sort of stuff — along with all other interested parties, but probably none are more interested than parents,” Murphy told reporters at a press conference Monday.
He slammed Republican legislators for their reaction to the sex-ed requirements.“Unfortunately, our learning standards have been intentionally misrepresented by some politicians seeking to divide and score political points,” Murphy included in his April 13th declaration.
“At the same time, we have seen a handful of sample lesson plans being circulated that have not been adopted in our school districts and do not accurately reflect the spirit of the standards. Any proposed educational content that is not age-appropriate should be immediately revised by local officials,” he said.
Murphy has actually advised the state education department to inspect the requirements and “provide further clarification on what age-appropriate guidelines look like for our students.”
This advancement in New Jersey’s public-school sex-ed policies follows numerous weeks of drama over a comparable concern in Florida, which simply codified into law its Parental Rights in Education measure restricting the direction of sexual preference and gender identity to kindergartners through 3rd graders. That legislation, while carrying majority support from Florida citizens and citizens despite the political party, stimulated a major reaction from Disney, which has a significant business presence in the state, and numerous LGBT workers. In spite of Disney’s demonstrations and lobbying, nevertheless, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis fast-tracked the bill and signed it.
H/T National Review
