5-year-olds forced to learn about AIDS

New York City introduces mandatory lesson plan

New York City's Department of Education began a new curriculum yesterday that teaches 5-year-olds about AIDS and HIV.

Parents are given the option of removing their children from the lessons but must educate them on the subject at home.

The children will not be taught AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease until sex education classes, which usually begin in the fourth grade.

Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights insists, however, that fact makes little difference.

What matters, he says, is "that this represents a coordinated effort on the part of city officials to sexually engineer our children."

"If they were truly interested in protecting kids from diseases, they would start by teaching them about such things as food poisoning," he said.

Donahue says its time for Catholic parents who send their children to public schools to "put their foot down: pull their kids from these classes, refuse to teach them about AIDS and then inform their principal of their refusal to cooperate."

"Let's see if the education establishment has the nerve to settle this matter in court," he said.

New York's education department insists the lessons are age-appropriate, but many parents who have looked at some of the material disagree, reports WCBS-TV in New York City.

Queens fifth grader Charles Comaianni had never heard of AIDS but got a lesson yesterday "about the immune system and what happens when your immune system is down"

By the end of this week, WCBS said, the 10-year-old will learn the disease is spread by unprotected sex or by sharing needles.

He also will learn about homosexuality and HIV prevention methods – including a condom demonstration – things his father Nick Comaianni says he doesn't want his son to know about yet.

Education officials contend the lessons are necessary because half the high school students are sexually active.

"I think we do have a moral obligation to put it out there as soon as we can so we can protect kids from dying, which is not a bad thing to do if you're an educator," said Deputy Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina.

Parents say that despite there being no talk of sex in the lessons to 5-year-olds, the youngsters certainly will come home curious.

"You're opening up all these questions to a 5-year-old. What are we going to explain IV drugs and sex with them? To explain how that happened?" said Mary Koslowski, parent of a kindergartner.