Prairie State Wire

A new bill is expected to be filed in the Illinois Legislature this week mandating personal health and safety education taught to K-12 public school students is getting mixed reviews.

"It is not too early to start teaching children as young as pre-school and definitely by kindergarten about healthy relationships," Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-Northlake), a co-sponsor of the Responsible Education for Adolescent and Children's Health (REACH) Act, told The Center Square. "We're hearing more and more about kids that get bullied at a young age."

The REACH Act would provide students with grade-level appropriate information. Lessons will revolve around personal safety and respecting others for students in grades K-2; anatomy, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression for grades 3-5; and abstinence, birth control and STD prevention in grades 6-12.

"Now, more than ever, they need medically and factually accurate information as well as a safe environment to develop the skills they need to navigate our modern world," Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), a co-sponsor of the bill, told The Center Square.

The notion of medically accurate information concerns Molly Malone Rumley, spokesperson for Illinois Pro-Family Alliance, a group opposed to the REACH Act.

"Medical accuracy would demand that you teach [abortion ends life after conception] and medical accuracy would teach that there are only two biological genders or sexes," Rumley told The Center Square.

Rumley also expressed concerns about how some concepts taught may contrast with students' religious beliefs and how pupils who receive the education will likely discuss information with other classmates who have opted out of the education.

"It really undermines the parent's ability to monitor what their child is learning," Rumley told The Center Square.

Personal health and safety education is required in 30 states, The Center Square reported.