Montague, PEI. In December, 1991 students here in south-eastern PEI petitioned the school board to install condom dispensing machines in the regional high school.

The first such request in the province, it caused a furor.

The students claimed to have some teacher support. The school superintendent said, “ I have no difficulty with the suggestion, but the board makes the decision.”

This move by the students was made to order for the media. For a few days, viewers became accustomed to bright and charming young people earnestly explaining to TV audiences that today’s teens are so lacking in self control that they must have condom dispensers in all washrooms, both for men and women.

“We can’t go into the local drugstore for them,” explained one young man in tones of utter reasonableness. “Who knows- it might be my aunt working behind the counter.”

This argument led one unimpressed viewer to point out a lack of courage, maturity and shame. “If they’re not ashamed to have premarital sex, why are they ashamed to obtain what they want from the drugstore?”

Pro-condom CBC

CBC proved particularly adept at finding “forward thinking” schools and school boards across the country that have installed such dispensers, and “ courageous” concerned students and parents to explain to less enlightened Islanders the realities of un-condoned teen behaviour.

One caustic CBC commentator spoke scathingly of the inability of do many authorities, and parents in particular, to see the great wisdom in the students’ initiative.

At a policy convention, the NDP, desperately scrambling for a niche in this province, endorsed the idea of condom dispensers in all schools throughout the Island.

Other parties did not comment.

The topic obviously became the subject of classroom debate and writing assignments across the Island. Students letters appearing on the editorial pages were perfect reflections of popular propaganda and singularly lacking in logic:
•    “ The Catholic Women’s League’s ideas that sexual activity only belongs in marriage can no longer refer to today’s society.”
•    “Who understands the changing needs of a teenager better than a teenager? Why should we listen to someone 30 or 40?”
•    “Today’s teenagers are more responsible and trustworthy than ever before and, have earned the right to experiment with their sexuality.”
•    Particularly telling was a letter that said, “ If students today don’t realize the consequences of having sex without protection, the family life program has proved ineffective.”

The whole situation is chillingly reminiscent of a comment in PP-Ottawa’s newsletter: “ it was good to see the teenagers themselves show up at meeting in order to have their opinions heard. Such political involvement is a compliment to their classroom education.”

Through some parents supported the students, most were appalled. They quickly rallied and began their own determined campaign.

They first revealed that much peer pressure has gone into obtaining signatures on the students’ petition.

And they wrote letters. One said,” It’s not your body to selfishly experiment with. Your body belongs to God. He created it and you must use self control and prayer to guard it against evil.”

Though they were later accused of “ forcing their rites on non-Christians,” their statement garnered much support.

Condom does not protect

At a school board meeting open to the public, two young local physicians opposed the student proposal. Doctors Brian Mann and Robert Blackwood (who have HIV patients) pointed out the ineffectiveness of condoms, and said that only acceptable prescriptions were chastity and training in self-control.

They made it very clear that in the life and death issue of AIDS, condoms aren’t safe, and chastity is.

Public forum columns were flooded. One writer suggested the possibility of school and school board liability if students became pregnant or contracted any STDs including AIDS through sexual activity “protected” by condoms provided by the school.

Another pointed out, “ Children are given into the educational system in the trust that they will be formed- not deformed- to be men and women of values and discipline so they might have the best life possible. There are no shortcuts to sound values.”

The province’s largest paper entered the debate with and editorial proclaiming Condom Sales Not School’s Job. It pointed out that though schools have become the dumping ground fro many of society’s problems, they are first and foremost, providers of education:

“To expect them to provide condom machines is to ask them to go beyond their jurisdiction. It’s highly questionable whether the school should assume the responsibility,” it stated.

In early February, to the disgust of some, and the great relief of many, the school board turned down the student request.