Education regarding child development

§ 804-b. Education regarding child development. 1. All schools shall be authorized to include, as an integral part of home economics or health education, instruction regarding child development and parental skills and responsibility.

2. Instruction regarding child development and parental skills and responsibility may be included in the home economics or health education provided for all secondary school pupils and shall be taught by teachers certified to teach home economics or health education. Related courses in the secondary school curriculum may be taught in a manner supportive of home economics education or health education regarding child development and parental skills and responsibility.

3. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to establish a curriculum for instruction regarding child development and parental skills and responsibility for the welfare of pupils and the community to be available in school districts. The contents may be varied to meet the needs of particular school districts, or portions thereof, and need not be uniform throughout the state; such curriculum may include instruction relating to the consequences and prevention of shaken baby syndrome, which may include the viewing of a video presentation for students in secondary schools.

4. School authorities shall be authorized to provide the needed facilities, time, and place for the instruction set forth herein and to provide learning aids and curriculum resource materials which contribute to effective teaching methods and learning in home economics education or health education regarding child development and parental skills and responsibility.