I've seen so many discussions about this topic. And in almost every case, it was pretty obvious that most people were looking at the topic from their own experiences. Yes, for many of us, it's unthinkable that 11 year olds would be handed birth control pills or a supply of condoms. However, I've taught in an urban ghetto, as well as in a very expensive suburb. In the city, there was a school set aside for pregnant girls--but no high school students could get in, because it was filled with jr. high kids. And that was 35 years ago--things are MUCH worse there now. In the suburbs, we had lots of 7th graders having sex--many were charging for it (mind you, they were mostly from pretty well-off families). I feel this way about the question. A child from a family where they are teaching their children NOT to have sex at a young age, to be responsible--is going to have a really difficult time approaching those strict parents to ask for the pill, so if they think they need birth control, I'd rather they had the option of getting it from a trained health care worker. And the other side of the coin? The child who has parents who are uninvolved, maybe too poor to take the kid to the dr, even if they wanted to--well that child for sure needs to have access to birth control, if they think they might need it. Either way, more resources are always better than fewer--IMO.

Susan, another similarity between us. In grade school I attended St. Hugh of Lincoln in Huntington Station. Even at 4th and 5th grade we talked about which of the high schools we would attend. I am sure Brentwood was one of the choices, but I don't remember the name St. Joseph's. What was the uniform? I remember a green one (must have been a St. Patrick's nearby) and a plaid one. And why did they cut your hair. (Oh, we moved to NNY in the middle of 6th grade where I finished elementary school in a tiny Catholic school, but then on to public high school.

I don't have kids, or want them. But I always vote in the school board elections. I firmly believe that a good education is a right, and I will do everything in my power to make sure all children have access to quality education. Educated people are less likely to commit crimes, join gangs, and use drugs- activities that cost all of us money and sometimes much worse. Education is the ticket out of poverty. Everyone has a stake in the quality of education, and everyone has a responsibility to provide the best possible education to all children.

Trying copy again I attended boarding school for my high school years. I was quite young (11) when starting my freshman year. I recall that I was very homesick the first couple of weeks. The nuns were very kind --they baked a birthday cake for my September birthday. Once I recovered from homesickness I joined the routine of the school. Although there were a few private rooms most of us slept in a large dormitory room with our 'cells' separated by curtains which could be drawn open and shut. Furniture consisted of a bed, a chair and a washstand with a pitcher and bowl. Our closets were lined up at one end of the room. To the best of my recollection our weekdays started at about 6:30 when the nun in charge of the dormitory went up and down the aisles ringing a small bell. We went to the communal bathroom to fill our pitchers with warm water which we used for our washing up, We filled a glass with cool water for tooth brushing. When we were washed and dressed we went to the chapel for daily Catholic mass. Following that we had breakfast in the refectory (dining room.). We had some time to ourselves before we assembled in the study hall before classes began. Bells were rung when classes were over and we moved from room to room in orderly lines. At noon we had lunch in the refectory with some time to ourselves before afternoon classes After school we went to the kitchen for a snack which varied from bread and jelly or peanut butter to some sort of cookies or crackers. Every afternoon following the snack one of the nuns took us out for a walk of about a mile. We were required to stay in line, two by two. After the walk there was time in study hall again, then dinner, then recreation. There was no TV in those days. I remember how excited we were when we got a radio. Sometimes one of the girls would play the piano and we would dance, the older girls teaching the younger ones. Dinner was served at 6 o'clock with an hours recreation following, then more study hall. Around 8 o'clock we went to the chapel to say the rosary, then had more time to ourselves before bed around 9:30. Sometimes on weekends we went downtown to see a movie, We had a large lawn with a tennis court and benches where we could sit and enjoy the outdoors. Saturdays and Wednesdays we signed up for our turn to have a real bath in one of the several tubs. There were no showers. On Saturdays we could press our clothes, mend, shine our shoes, set our hair, polish our fingernails, read or play games. Sunday we attended mass at the church across the street. Aside from an hour in the study hall to write letters or do homework we were pretty free to do as we chose. We could not leave the school without permission.