Forget Teaching Sex, How About Learning Math?

Gov. Deval Patrick has declared abstinence-only sex education a failure. He wants to turn down $700,000 in federal tax dollars that Massachusetts could be using for this education.

But why does the Cadillac of Governors say that abstinence-only education doesn't work? Because, according to a study cited by Patrick, the kids who study it are just as sexually active as the kids who take the sex-ed classes Patrick supports.

Huh? Exactly.

The study doesn't say that abstinence-only kids are having more sex, nor does it say they're getting pregnant more often or catching more diseases. Instead, the study Patrick cites says that programs he supports work just as well (or badly, as the case may be) as abstinence-only. But the governor isn't proposing we dump the federal money we get for those failing classes.

Gee, I wonder why?