As the mid-century population was exploding, the forward thinkers of the time were promoting new ideas. The idea proposed in this March 1959 Cosmopolitan article was to teach children about sex and reproduction in a formal and consistent manner. According to the article titled “A New Look at Sex Education”, earlier generations made no attempt to educate children about sex and reproduction. Apparently everyone agreed that it was time to move on from the head-in-the sand approach. The question was, who should teach it. Should it be parents, church, or teachers?
Sex education should be broadly interpreted to mean the teaching of male and female roles to schoolchildren.
. . . it is now felt that the best way to education youngsters in sexual matters in through a schoolwide program and not just a single course.
The 6 page article outlined pros and cons of each choice. The lengthy, but interesting read provides a perspective and comparison to where we are now. As we debate the classroom controversies faced by parents today, the article shows us that the power struggle between parents and institutions is nothing new.
If you wish, you can download the article below.
Mid-Century Page 
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