Commenting last week on the current discussion in the Kansas Legislature about standards for teaching sex education in the state, Steve Abrams, president of the Kansas Board of Education, commented, “It sounds like something the state board ought have authority to deal with.”

Most Kansans would agree, but the problem is that the state board has been unable to meet its responsibility to monitor sex education – and probably a number of other important education issues – because its members are stymied by intense philosophical differences.

The state board has required sex education in Kansas for almost two decades, but the board allowed the regulation on sex education to lapse last year while it was working to revise rules for accrediting schools. The board deadlocked 5-5 over whether to require students to take a sex education class unless their parents asked that they be excluded or to teach sex education only to students whose parents specifically gave their permission for the class. The alternatives have been labeled the “opt-out” and “opt-in” options.

Because of the state board’s lapse, a coalition of advocacy groups backed by individual ministers, parents, students and health professionals is taking its case straight to the state Legislature. The Senate Education Committee agreed last week to sponsor the group’s proposal to require schools to offer a comprehensive sex education class that would teach students about sexually transmitted diseases and about the benefits of abstinence.

The coalition supports an “opt-out” policy for the classes to try to make sure the information reaches as many youngsters as possible. Sen. Kay O’Connor, R-Olathe, sided with the board members who preferred the “opt-in” approach, saying, “I think parents need to be a little more involved.”

Parents, by all means, should be involved in every facet of their children’s education, especially sex education, which has such a profound impact on their children’s health and well-being. But the reality is that too many children get their information on sexual issues from each other or sources far less reliable than a conscientious parent. Making sure students have factual information about sex, abstinence and STDs is something the state shouldn’t leave to chance.

It’s unfortunate that the members of the State Board of Education have been unable to reach agreement on a responsible sex education policy that would provide classes to all students whose parents don’t specifically want them excluded. They still have the opportunity to act on this issue and take it off the Legislature’s agenda. If they don’t take advantage of that opportunity, they shouldn’t be surprised if concerned Kansas residents decide to ask state legislators to circumvent the board on other important education issues.