How can schools be sensitive to religious and cultural beliefs about family and sexuality?
While the Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Standards provide a framework for local school districts, it is the responsibility of the district to align its curriculum with the standards while still addressing the diverse needs of its students. New Jersey community demographics are constantly changing, and it would be unreasonable to expect a single teacher to be fully aware of the various cultural norms of each represented group. Therefore, the task of building cultural and religious sensitivity must be an ongoing effort, conducted by the local school district with the assistance of local cultural and religious organizations. The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services has established a network to assist in the identification of organizations with specific expertise in this area. The New Jersey Statewide Network for Cultural Competence can be accessed at http://www.state.nj.us/njsncc/index.shtml.
