Yes, but they won't, because it would be a class that actually has a point.

Of course, they've known since kindergarten how to make a baby, why not learn how to care for one?

yeah they should. i am a high school student, maybe it would make people think twice about doing stuff.

No. That and sex ed should be nowhere near a public school. Teachers are teachers, and parents are parents. Those are parents jobs to do, not a school teacher.

Absolutely, The majority are going to be parents. I am thinking They should also have to take care of the fake baby for a quarter or semester to see what it is really like to have a baby at a young age.

YES

No. I never planned on becoming a parent. In fact, I planned on NOT becoming a parent. My school taught sex-ed, including birth control. It included the fact that birth control was not 100% effective so parenthood was a real possibility even if you did everything right. Then again, I went to school back before the Hard Right started the myth that sex-ed CAUSES teen promiscuity.

NO...............but having an elective class for parenting isn't a bad idea....If a student becomes pregnant then the class should be a requirement.

required...? ahhh sure but i think an elective would be a better idea.

Yes. High schoolers should have to take at least a year of "parenthood". This would help those who plan to become parents in the future, and keep those who want to now. To many teens are parents(i mean 17 and under). This class would show teens what hell they would have to go through. This is even coming from a high schooler!! But, many have had good points with it being the parents job. I think it is a mix of both. But, too many parents are being fucking lazy and just letting there kids run free there entire lives, and then wonder why they are a parent at 15!! There are few true parents these days. The next few generations of people are going to be a doozy, because of how out of control kids are. So many people are just out of control because they were never taught the difference between right and wrong. Teens need to know at least about sex and the possibility of a kid. Don't do it unless you are willing to spend the rest of your life with that person. Because too many kids have to grow up with either only one parent having a different partner every month, or are changing houses every other week. Please people, don't put kids through this.

No, that should be part of home schooling aka, lessons of life.

No. I think parents should start doing their jobs and being responsible parents. I personally have Parenting on my option sheet for next year, but I do not think it should be a required course at all. In my opinion, the doll they make you carry around (if they do), is NOT a real baby. I'm not even sure I will be able to take it seriously. They only have a limited amount of time to teach you stuff, and, well, I just don't see how it should be required. Why I am taking it next year? Well, I just wanted an easy class to put on my schedule and I'm sure I'll pass it already without much effort. I already know that parenting is not easy, and I doubt the class will even teach me how to be a proper mother -- more like THEIR ideas on what a proper mother should be. My parents are good examples of parents and they answer our questions, so I don't need the stupid class to tell me how to be a parent, since my parents already do a good job at explaining things to us. My parents did and still do their job. That's my point. I think everyone's parents should do that job, too. This Parenting course I am taking next year, I will probably get a laugh out of. The best part of it is one of the teachers who teaches it, as far as I know, is not even a parent herself!

No. It should not be the responsibility of the "State" to teach these skills. It should be the parents or relative of the person who gives this advice. Even in the 21st century, there is still a family unit that should take care of these things.

I'm not necessarily against the idea. However, as many have mentioned, it is really a parental responsibility. Based on results, public schools have HUGE problems teaching people basic English and Math and getting kids to graduate. Before we start teaching subjects such as sex-ed, I'd like to see better results in the true purpose of spending taxpayer dollars for education - educating youth to read, write, and perform basic math functions so they function as literate, productive citizens in a complex society.

No not everyone even wants kids. Why waste a slot when they could be earning a credit that they need for their fututre.

I think so! I think less and less schools focus on applicaple skills in life and more on semi-skewed facts about things they will hardly use. Not that history or sciences are bad but how to cook, clean, do laundry, balance a checkbook, raise kids or the myriad of other things we do (and should be taught at home but aren't always done so)are not being learned by young adults these days.

Yes, parent skills are very important and the class may teach teens to think ahead. Just as sex education lowers teen pregnancy rates, parent skill classes might make teens plan out their lives more, choose their partners better, and not have kids until later.

maybe you misread my answer, I think MEN should be learning these skills as well!

They most certainly should. After all we teach our children not only math, sceince, and reading, but how to sew, cook, and work with tools as part of a balanced education to ready them for life. And in health class we cover every other aspect from inside out including hygenie so why shoild parenting be any diffrent? This is what I want everyone to think about who's agaainst this let's say you have a child in abusive or neglectful home do you really think a parent like that is going to instill good parenting skills into that child? What about those children who don't have open communication with their parents? Who's going to teach them? Or what if the parent is gone alot due to work? Again nobody is there to teach the child. And as we all know those will be the children who grow up to repeat the cycle in their home with their own children because it's all they know. Here's something else children who participate in those classes are less likely to become teen parents just like those who get a fully comprehensive sex education. It also serves as a converstaion starter between parent and child so that the parents can have an easier in to express their veiws on this issue just like sex education does. Honestly it makes no sense to me why anyone would resist such an idea.

I'm not saying replace all classes with life skills classes but it should be part of the curriculum

I do believe that students ought to be mandated to take parenting classes, perhaps as part of a life skills or health class. We want to end the cycle of uneducated children having children, having children, having children, generation after generation, especially in our cities and in the rural areas. I am encouraged to see that now at least teens are staying in school, regardless of who will keep/raise the children.

I think so! I don't know of any parent that ever said they were ready and prepared in retrospect when looking back to when they first had their kid.. You can never go wrong with extra education especially on something so important!

No, there shouldn't be an obligation to take such a class, when not everyone is going to grow up to be a parent, so why waste a child's time with facts that aren't useful, when they can be learning something that intrests them more? Having such a class is like telling kids that it's put into the "norm" to grow up and have kids, when a lot don't fall into that lifestyle.

umm no .. only if they want

Yes. If the parents can't do it, someone has to. They used to have home ec. classes when I was in school. Glad it was required. Basics of child rearing, cooking, sewing, grocery shopping, nutrition. REALLY glad it was required. Alot of parenting is just plain old common sense.

Mmm... I want to say no, because I would have found that class completely stupid and pointless. But, there are enough kids that have kids without knowing anything... That said, I think most "parenting" courses are stuff like "hold it this way" which you can learn in a one-week babysitting course, instead of learning that "Honey, no, stop, please, stop, mommy asked you to stop" does not get you anywhere. I do think that students should have to take a life skills class. And i *did* take one, but it was more rhetoric about "oh, you should save money!" instead of something useful like "this is how you file your taxes, this is how you haggle for a car, this is how you iron a shirt(which i still can't do)."

i think it would be a brilliant idea as most of them will be parents. it might also show them how hard it really is.

You know, a touch off topic. But my original post has garnered 21 replies. Man, I love it when such a firestorm has been launched. PS While I do respectively disagree with you, I did enjoy this debate. Hope to see ya down the AB road some other day!

yes. all people (most anyway) will have children within 10 years after graduation, so i do believe even if they are babysitter, or parent.

Yes that is an excellent idea.

definately ! yes. that would be pretty cool experiment and sounds interesting.

No, what on earth would you attempt to teach them? There's little point trying to teach children how to be parents when don't have any children or may not ever want any children.

Yep they are important life skills. Even if you think you're not going to have kids, when it comes down to it, you may not have a say in the matter.

No, they should learn the correct parenting techniques from their parents. Their parents should parent according to Dad. It is the solution.

I don't think it would hurt, as many will be parents someday.

That would be an excellent idea. It may discourage people from having kids til later on in life and also they would be ready to have and raise kids that are emotionally and physically well. Cause there are a lot of parents that epicly fail at the emotional bit.