There are four levels of regulations that govern what is being taught in health & sex education classes in local Georgia counties:

(1) Georgia Code (or Law)

(3) Georgia Board of Education Standards (currently the QCC; new Health Performance Standards in 2010)

(4) Local School Board Policies (if any).

Below is a comprehensive summary of the State regulations, but we have also assembled the information in different formats for your convenience:

 Fast facts - Georgia Sex Education Legislation
 Summary - Georgia Sex Education Legislation
 Full Text - Georgia Sex Education Legislation, Rules & QCC
 Georgia Local Board Policies on Sex Education

See also the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) State School Health Policy Database

The Georgia Law on Sex Education (1988, 2006)

The Georgia Law (1988, 2006) does not limit what type of sex education can be taught in our schools whether it be comprehensive or abstinence-only, as long as certain subjects are covered. According to the law the Georgia Board of Education provides the format for either a specific sex education class that includes information on HIV/AIDS or integrates theses subjects into Comprehensive Health Education. Each local school board then gets to decide on the final curriculum. However, the classes shall include instruction relating to the handling of peer pressure, the promotion of high self-esteem, local community values, the legal consequences of parenthood, and abstinence from sexual activity as an effective method of prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome…. It may include instruction concerning human biology, conception, pregnancy, birth, sexually transmitted diseases, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The course shall include instruction concerning the legal consequences of parenthood, including, without being limited to, the legal obligation of both parents to support a child and legal penalties or restrictions upon failure to support a child, including, without being limited to, the possible suspension or revocation of a parent’s driver’s license and occupational or professional licenses.

The Georgia Board of Education Rule (2000)

The Georgia Board of Education Rule (2000) includes a very important item for parents: Each local board of education shall establish a committee to review periodically sex/AIDS education instructional materials and make recommendations concerning age/grade level use… The committee shall be composed primarily of nonteaching parents who have children enrolled in the local public schools and who represent the diversity of the student body augmented by others such as educators, health professionals, and other community representatives. The committee shall also include a male and female student currently attending the 11th or 12th grade in the public schools.

We believe that becoming part of these county sex education committees is one of the best ways for concerned parents to get our voices heard in regards to our children’s sexuality education.

• If your county does not have a committee, make sure they get one.
• If your county has a committee, make sure they meet!
• If your county committee meets, make sure you join!!!!

The Georgia Department of Education

The Georgia Department of Education is currently in the process of rewriting the Performance Standards for Health Education (which includes sex education). A draft of these new standards is available at the Georgia Department of Education Website. Like the old QCC, these new standards are limited on sex education. This is of great concerns since the publishers of the Health textbooks used in most counties have practically eliminated sex education during the last decade.