America Street, U.S.A.; 4; Controversial issues in education sex education and busing

America Street USA a series of programs produced by Radio Station JF Jacey FM at Foothill College Los Altos California. But I get that people wish it were. Well I think this situation in the city of Sunnyvale California there is a street named America street. Families of many different backgrounds live on the street and in the immediate neighborhood. It's a melting pot of America in miniature. What are the feelings the attitudes the texture of life on America street. What do these Americans think about America as it is today. For if we are to approach the reality of the American experiment in democracy we must know understand and respond to the opinions of America St..

In this series of programs we ask you to imagine that you are overhearing a discussion among the residents of America straight as occasionally compared and contrasted with informed opinion from other sources. Today's topic controversial issues in American education are questions concern to current educational issues sex education and the bussing of school children to alleviate racial discrimination. We discovered that opinions on these issues were based on a fundamental and continuing conflict in American society the conflict between individual rights and generally agreed upon social values. For example while all of our respondents agreed that ignorance about sex could be harmful to young people there was disagreement about how children should be instructed and the rights of parents to determine what their children learn. Here are some of the opinions of America straight.

Should there be any education in the schools. I think some of the some of the families can't talk to their kids about sex they say is a learned life you know from someone that knows what they're talking about. Yes I definitely do that if they do learn at home are right about the money and still too I think this is fine. Agree to this because the earliest possible. Site says they ask questions which is very again their muskets core and so they don't have to know they can have it at the level at which these children are inquiring and reduce their use of water out there your family members oh yeah oh yeah. At least I'm happy there's a reason to have suppressed education. Did you think these programs should be mean mandatory or voluntary Some parents say well I don't want to do learning you know like I did a teacher myself I'd rather not have the energy now that they don't those are the parents that don't teach them and I think it's being mandatory and you should be

for all of America if you have a certain amount of sedge and sex education even goes on in the church for the for the children and. I don't know how you can tell although you can explain things to a youngster and. They're going to find out sooner or later you might as well Tom the right way in the beginning thereof the things that they should know. And it's the same thing it shows I mean you don't put your finger in the fire and hope they don't have to go put their finger in the fire and burn themselves they're going to absorb just what they need at that moment anyway. Then the following You know you have a little more and as I get older the market is not going to work their minds. I can say I turned out pretty normal. One very 26 year old figured enough I think it's a good

idea but I think it should be. I think the best idea would be to have a title in a home environment I don't think you could you could say that. What about sex when I was a school sex with you know that they talk about it giggled a laugh he did something like that but I think the best place. Obviously would be the teacher. But I think it's a good idea to have a voice like that but it should be solely solely up to the pair momentarily to the parent that the child. The parent whether the pair felt that he had enough sex education. Finally he doesn't need to know you don't want a boy that are there moral standings or religious things against it but part of that program all sex education will be worked out a little old to the junior high school level because this is where our problems come from this is where some serious diseases come from because kids don't understand it don't know. I see you know how many parents are a bit

more realistic about this and and tell a kid about it if they fear that they don't want the teacher to tell someone who's going to tell me. Somebody might tell him or wrongly name you will be made in the September 9th 1969 issue of Look magazine an article on the controversy over sex education begins in more than 34 states across the United States. Sometimes savage fight has erupted over what if anything children should be taught about sex in school. Who should teach it. And what kinds of materials should be used. School bond issues dangled precariously in the balance. School administrators edged gingerly through an emotional minefield and politicians latch on to a live issue that's the hottest thing since law and order in at least 15 state legislatures and Congress legislation that would investigate restrict or ban sex education in public schools is being considered in New York for example state funds for and all references to sex education have been

dropped from the state's two year old law requiring health courses in public schools though paradoxically New York schools are currently launching a new kindergarten to ninth grade sex programs. The beginning of an article on the controversy over sex education in Look magazine. Needless to say the advocates of sex education are as vehement in their arguments as they are poems. We did not find a vehement opposition to sex education on America street but we did find a recognition of the political problem with respect to sex education. I think sex education is necessary in schools. If it is defined in a way that are integrated I should say into the school curriculum in such a way as to be considered something that is not unusual for a same as another subject would be introduced. I don't think they should make such an issue what I think it should be something that children should be taught in school

because I think this is very lacking in most homes. I think it's very unusual that you find a home where sex education is a free and open type of thing that goes on between parents and children. I think it's very difficult to teach children this and it has to be done in way that they are aware of at an early age because they are anyway. And it's done in the proper channels and in the schools. I think this could be a very good thing if it's done properly in the beginning. What grade would you favor starting such a program. I say possibly in the as low as the low grades possibly first second third grades the low grades as well the changes begin in children because then the first step in the school is a change in their psychology. Why do you think you and I think that they're aware. Certainly by this age and I think this will be a very good start. They have to be a very well done program can't be suddenly just. Suddenly put forth before these children

and it has to be something well done. Sex education in schools. We have quite a bit o teachers in addition kids who come up to you know what they want because their parents don't want to sit there and you can learn more than you can your parents because there will be no more would you like the sex education point in schools and if so I think we've always had to some extent I didn't call it that it's what they call the marriage and family began with hamsters raising grain progressed from there or then progressed to good hygiene or something glamorous about sin free. Why. My own feeling is that sex education

should start in the home really belong there. But unfortunately large numbers of parents don't feel they can do this. If this is going to be the case it is quite desirable to have it in the schools because the more probable I feel this is a generalization. Generalizations are yours I know but. I think young people get more develop more sexual problems from lack of ways and from too much snow. Seems to me that and it you know that's fine but it seems to me that attitudes towards. Family life and sex come from the home. We don't ever say anything so that from this is another time. An example is here is probably most important it seems to me that some of the movies I've seen that were

created by guns. Really explain things more carefully or more clearly your youngsters perhaps. Does that do. Presumably the guy just said something first and maybe has folks at home and information and is able to get a good feeling they can see that there was in this discussion there were nightmares. But sometimes I think this film is making history in a collision of these programs are mandatory or both. I suppose that under our system they're going to have to be involved here I would think so. I would disagree with any parent that kept their child out unless the firm was going to do the job. Well you're saying. He has control over and all right. I don't know what age I'm not sure what he heard but

I think there's a great deal of people. That. Day. Over people in general. That. Are not healthy. Proper Education thought of us and. You know we have an awful lot of friends we live in so many divorces and stuff like that. And a good share of this stuff is right about two. People not having a proper knowledge of sex I think you think a lot of ways and maybe a lot of parents are not equipped to teach their children or maybe just too embarrassed and don't get around to it. If your parents are very mean to invasion you don't get around to. The basic dilemma in sex education seems to be this. While it is desirable that instruction in sexual behavior especially the moral aspects be transmitted by the family. The fact is that instruction by the family alone is not and will

not be adequate. Do you feel feel that there should be a sex education for the school. I think you know in general sense and at the right age level. You know I'm not certain what that is either. I think the. Anatomical physiological. Type facts for pre-adolescent and just pre-adolescent children probably. Boys and Girls sixth seventh and eighth grade people have different beliefs. What stands tied in with their religious beliefs of this is that then I think parents should have the opportunity to teach children in their own way. Well I realize that a lot of them don't do this and. It isn't an easy thing that I don't I don't like the idea of them getting too much you know cold clinical of how they do it to sort of fix you know in some of these pageants they realize when I was young I think you know public school I think parents of I feel like when they

heard that 12 year old girl is going to go and. She doesn't even know what's going to happen at home is that it does. Think this somebody should have at least told her at the time. How her life is going to progress at least physically. First off your parents. Well at least as far as I think sex education should be related first to the individual boys and the girls. Everybody made a great sex education I think you want to at least have each sex familiar with their own sex. Do you feel that. You would give us the words of the program. That's the things we do from school learning what program we have now for The Greatest Story 7 1 in 7 and one in ninth grade they both had those classes last year 15 So this is not so much sex education.

She's sick of it or I yeah I'm not I don't think it's the right place for it. But I think you know I don't disapprove of it. That is I should learn that there is a time learn at home. I realize that this isn't every child so that this is unnecessary or do you rather see a program like this done mandatory. Well and I think it should be voluntary I think back to my parsing of things upon people because it sets up a resistance. Well if it were voluntary and other people see the benefit of being voluntary then they fall into step. But that's not how people want children no I'm not giving more from anyone that's not going to help your children

in relation to those children who are not given more information than either of our second question in the area of education in America concerned the busing of school children in an attempt to alleviate the effects of racial discrimination. Here are some of the opinions of America's street. I don't I don't believe in the busing as a solution. FAR FAR FAR the problems that are claimed early in the black schools. Simply put a child in a bus and take him away from the facility that's convenient to him where he may be able to walk home for his lunch is or walk to and from and from school are all of the conveniences of neighborhood schooling which are pleasant for the white communities should also be pleasant. And available to the black community. It's unfair to make a black child ride 30 minutes 40 minutes and get up that much earlier than all of

the inconvenience of it all simply to get to a white school. I think that the level of education should be the same and in any neighborhood whether it's a wealthy neighborhood or poor neighborhood or a black man or a white there are we have had a lot of controversy about that especially in San Francisco here recently and almost broke out into a rash. I don't pay for busing the busing brings on a racial imbalance of bringing the white child from one from a hack class urban area bussing them into a ghetto area is going to achieve inner racial imbalance because here you bring the kids. So how much can you really teach a child in a four or five hour period. He still goes back to their home from whence he came. You see we take the black out the only thing you do to him you open his eyes to see what he doesn't have and what he'd like to accomplish. So you send him back to that the way you came out and you make him more frustrated. Do you feel that it would be and wouldn't help him or not.

No I don't think it would help what I think they should do with Bill quality education quality schools right in the ghetto area and lead others where they are. You seem to make make that school in a ghetto area just a quality school as the one is in the in the suburban area. I say that as I say now I think busing. I'm definitely against passing children. I think it's a terrible imposition on both families on both sides and I think it's very bad to bring children into one area that they've never gone to have never been before cannot get along because they don't understand it that way of life and I think it's an imposition on both sides I think there has to be another way to do this. I'm not I couldn't come up at this moment with some great plan. But I think I'm very much against us in this room. Yeah I'm against Bosnia and I think that you know to me it just doesn't make sense that you transport kids on a bus to go to another school by walking. To me that I don't understand the purpose of it and I think good for the

caliber of education were the same and to schools and why doesn't just have to. In your head you have a ratio that somebody sets up as an ideal ratio of black to white or not white or white. You don't. Care to work and don't look for Shimon integration. We believe that none of the scene we're going to get better yet looks like yet any indication that I've got a bit of who or where the Taking be given to satisfactory manner. But.

Apparently the question of busing is being considered in only one way. The busing of minority children from ghetto areas to schools in white middle class areas. However there is another possibility which was not considered by our respondents. Perhaps because up till now it has been tried by only one community in the country. Berkeley Calif. An article in the December 21st 1968 issue of Saturday review describes how Berkeley did Berkeley California became the first city in the country with a significant minority population to desegregate its schools completely on the basis of a plan that involved total Two-Way cross-town busing widespread community participation and intensive teacher training. Admittedly Berkeley has advantages its school system governed by an elected five man board and an appointed superintendent serves a compact area of about 10 square miles with a

population of one hundred twenty one thousand and Rome and is 51 percent white. Forty one percent Negro 7 percent Oriental and 1 percent other. What then is the Berkeley plan. It is essential that it be understood for already the media and educators are garbling it to mean simply desegregation of physical mixing of the races within a school plant. It is more than that. It is a conscious attempt to create within each classroom a microcosm of the community as a whole. A social organism integrated heterogeneous lay on the basis of race sex academic achievement and economic status. The transportation plan designed to affect the community classroom is correspondingly revolutionary. It is the first bi racial busing system to be applied on more than a pilot basis all white and nonwhite children in kindergarten through third grade now attend the formerly predominantly white schools and all children in grades four through

six now attend to the schools in the black community 16 schools with a total enrollment of almost 9000 are involved and for attendance zones each including several kindergarten through the third grade schools and one for through sixth grade school have been defined to provide the right quantities of youngsters for the proper racial mix. About thirty five hundred children are being transported at a yearly cost of less than a 1 percent addition to the budget for the schools. As we hear the final group of opinions from America straight it might keep in mind a fundamental conflict between individual rights and social needs. I'm being interviewed but I'm not being. Kind of selfishly but I think that. I would

like to have. Close to their story so that they could watch the film. Need to. Have a short. Run I. Just feel that the school is my community that I would also like to have my child going to school with racially. This group will be just as easy to integrate the imbalance of education they say they have what makes the imbalance the instructors the administrators the facilities. Well some say that it's it's the whole thing. The facilities are and if they're not equal they could be equalized it seems to me with. Home or rather minimal work are at the lifts that bus a few teachers and administrators back and forth instead of students I mean I mean I don't know if I were a parent either black or white and my child lived around the corner from a school yet he had to be buster or. To walk or ride a bicycle or get to a school 6 miles away I would think to myself on the simple stupid. I mean whether I thought

it was you know I might think in the long run this is the way we have to do it. But I couldn't I don't think I could help but think to myself gee this is a kind of a strange way to operate. Everyone please get your and your kids. I mean are you sure you have. Neighborhoods are what they are and there's always so seeking in their level you know you have. People that are not comfortable with another group of people are going to seek that same people of their own type to be with because they are more comfortable and then economics has a great deal to do with it. You're in it which of course is anybody know if this is the way you or your lower class neighborhoods if that's what you call them are for history. We just have got to be you can't have a $25000 house so I've got a. Plan. They ran for 16 months. How do you feel about us and you think it's so I think it's fair or do you like it you make it so if I were for integration you know I would use the word

fair I think it is a very inefficient way accomplishing their objective. I don't think it's artificial. I mean you're trying to. Establish a quality of. Proper Bex the school is not the answer. That is a very expensive and most efficient way of going about my way of doing do something which would be perhaps a little harder for the general public to accept on a wide scale but then hopefully integrate the neighborhoods themselves and then the matter of having colored people live in all neighborhoods. To the extent that they are able to buy their home to the extent that they do. And the income to the for a given neighborhood then they should be

move in go to whatever school district and move it and I think there would be less feeling of a fish out of water by just having people who live in a given area go to the school that is set up for them. All it would give you a little more difficult than bus and when you have bigger job to accomplish. Well if you're thinking purely in terms of physical then I don't think you're the yardstick is right there. Is it your it this way the bussing. I would criticize as a quick fix. Poor solution because they go to school and then get it down and then put it back in their environment that is not all environment that they live in during the school day and I think the environment should be a 24 hour hotline. If this fish is going to take a war he's going to feel comfortable in this southern black market. Busing doesn't necessarily mean compulsory but it adds up. And

not because they're And they've been fasting for a long. Well been there tell their intention very on the basis of. Saying. I think yes I think I'd be fine if you could be handled and blame. Basically the problem and it's. One of real estate problems rather than anything else if you have people could live wherever they did whatever they wanted to live then you wouldn't have that problem by the streaming anywhere else and you know that you know there's just the matter because. We can't live or work anymore the know but wherever it is they but if they can only expect a term and eventually taken on this will give $5 pesos too if I lived and you. Are a sick man and I thought that I wasn't happy with the school situation there

would do what I did. This is a place that I could afford. There people simply can't. All this has been America Street USA one of a series of programs investigating what Americans think about America as it is today produced under a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by Jeff Osborne had a radio station FJC FM Foothill College Los Altos California. Interviews were conducted by Robert Wheeler. Narration and technical production by Bob Burke's dresser the executive producer was Professor Stuart ROWE This is the national educational radio network.