Decline of North Eastern Civilization

Time is running a story about a pregnancy boom in a Massachusetts high school - http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1815845,00.html
Apparently the gist is that a group of young ladies - most of whom are around 16 years old - made a pact to try to get pregnant before the end of the school year. While I feel that this story would be disturbing to many people, there is a point to be made here. Having this large a group of unwed pregnant teens can only point to the failure of the "abstinence only" sex ed program currently espoused by a certain political party. I find it very hard to look at it any other way. When you don't bother telling the kids anything except "don't do it because I said so" can you honestly have any expectation of them obeying you? I think not.
Children of any age are currently more wily and sophisticated than many of their parents were at the same age. Why? Because they have access to a great deal more information both good and bad at a younger age; they are constantly bombarded with information while seldom having time to burn off the excess energy - at least this is true here in Florida where many schools have canceled recess to add an additional PE class due to state mandates - and they interact with their environment in a completely different way than their parents or even some of their older siblings. Kids need to be given credit by adults for knowing a lot more than they let on.
As for the situation in Massachusetts, the parents are also to blame. There is no excuse for being so uninvolved in your children's lives that they can go out and make a silly pregnancy pact. Parent's need to quit blaming the schools - teachers are often underpaid, under appreciated and yet expected to put up with a ridiculous attitude from parents who won't even consider taking a tax increase to give teachers a raise - and teachers for their own lack of involvement in their kids lives. Be a better parent, take an interest in your child and quit trying to blame all your problems on everyone else because those of us without children are getting tired of watching our tax dollars go to raising your grandkids.

6/21
Check out this story from USA Today Online where no one else seems to know about this alleged pact. http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/06/mass-school-off.html