PSI

*Be warned: this post is not for the blushing reader*

Today I learned that here in New Zealand it is illegal to participate in sex, or as they say it here, The Sex, under the age of 16. I didn't know they made laws about such things. Apparently they do. The Sex has been the topic of conversation in one of my classes this week.

One of the required units in Phys Ed. for Year 9 (12-13 years old) is health. The health section this week is PSI (Postponing Sexual Involvement). This isn't sex education as I know it. Instead of talking about what sex is and the nitty gritty details of the reproductive system, these students are learning about why we should postpone having The Sex. I was talking with my cooperating teacher (tutor teacher) and he said it's too bad that students this young need to have conversations like this, but it's a reality. He's right. It is too bad that we should be convincing 12-13 year olds to wait to have The Sex.

Instead of the Phys. Ed teachers teaching this section there are students from Waikato Uni (the local university) coming to teach these sections. On Tuesday one of the student teachers ended the class with a little activity. She wanted the students to describe the perfect person to date and write all of these characteristics on the board. "We'll start with physical characteristics and then we'll talk about internal/personalty things." I wanted to stand up and say, "Really? Seriously? Are you remembering how old these kids are?" I couldn't believe the first response...

"Nice boobs! They need to be about medium sized. Maybe a DD or so and nice and squishy."

I couldn't believe my ears! Of course I laughed. I turned to my tutor teacher and he laughed as well, but seriously? I just can't imagine responses like that flying through a Utah classroom and being okay. The rest of the responses weren't too bad. I am just glad I wasn't doing the health unit because I don't think I could have kept a straight face through any of it.

Today the students were talking about the different levels of contact during attraction. It starts with The Eye Contact, The Flirting, The Hug/Kiss, The Hook Up, The Intimate Touching/Fondling, The Sex. After The Hug/Kiss, I thought "Ok. Making out comes next." I heard one student say, "Then Pash!" I thought "WHAT? Pash? Hmmm...passionate? Is that French Kissing?" When the student teacher put "The Hook Up" on the board I was racking my brains trying to figure it out.

I am pretty sure that in California, hooking up means having The Sex. In Utah it means two people just started dating or going out. It's different down here. Apparently you don't make out or French Kiss in New Zealand; you hook up.

As the student teachers went on with their presentations and asked questions about things that could go wrong during Intimate Touching/Fondling, I had the same thought, "Really? Seriously? Are you remembering how old these kids are?" One boy (the same boy who requested "nice boobs" be a quality that should be written on the board) said "You could accidentally put your hand in the wrong hole!" I'll admit that I blushed. What 12-13 year old boy knows these things? I know I'm not a boy but I certainly didn't know those kinds of things when I was his age. I guess that's a result of being "sheltered".

So I'm glad the PSI unit is over. It makes me sick, sad, and alarmed to know that kids this young are facing these kinds of decisions. True, some of them won't be faced with these kinds of adult decisions quite yet, if at all; and some of them will, if not already. Thirteen years old and these kids are making decisions about having The Sex. What is this world coming to? It's coming to an end I tell ya. Bring it on, baby. Bring it on.