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CNN Live Saturday

Bush Proposes 'Character Education'

Aired April 28, 2001 - 13:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush recently proposed that government spending on character education in schools should be increased to $25 million. That would triple current funding. One program that could benefit is called "Best Friends." It is a mentoring program for young girls that focuses on abstinence from alcohol, drugs and sex.

It's founder is Elayne Bennett. She's the wife of former education secretary and Drug Czar Bill Bennett, and she joins us from New York. Hi, Mrs. Bennett. Good to have you come talk with us.

ELAYNE BENNETT, FOUNDER, "BEST FRIENDS": It's a pleasure to be here.

KELLEY: Tell us how the program works. I know you brought some brochures and things. Can you give us a quick idea of how the program works?

BENNETT: I'd be happy to. Our program starts in the 5th grade and we continue on until high school graduation. We have a curriculum that focuses on the issues of friendship, love and dating, self respect, decision making, and then we also address the risk behaviors of alcohol, drugs, sexually transmitted diseases. And we have had a great success rate.

KELLEY: How has the success rate been? And how many girls are in the program? And how long do you follow them?

BENNETT: We have, now, nearly 5,000 girls in our program nationwide. We have, in the District of Columbia schools, around 950 girls. We follow the girls -- the concentration of our program is in middle school, 5th through 8th -- then once the girls reach 9th grade they become a part of a Saturday program called "Diamond Girls."

And then those girls are then followed until high school graduation, and we're very proud to report that we have 100 percent high school graduation rate. And we have a scholarship program in which about 45 girls are on scholarship to some of the best colleges and universities in this country.

KELLEY: That's terrific. What about the kids who don't quite make it through, if they break their pledge on abstinence or they don't stick with the program, do you drop them from the program? BENNETT: Well. interestingly, that has rarely happened. We're delighted because it's never happened in D.C. schools. What we ask our girls to do is really be a part of an honor code in which they make a commitment to abstinence. We tell them that if they get to a point in which they don't think they can continue that commitment, they discuss this with their mentor. And then we redirect them into programs that would serve a sexually active teen.

But our girls, as I said, we've not had that situation. We've been delighted that they are maintaining their commitment, that they truly are developing the strength of character to realize that this is the best decision for them as young people.

KELLEY: That is a strong success rate that you tell us about. But there are those, you know, who don't think that this is the best course of action to teach abstinence only. There's a -- Doctor Marla Kushner, who's the director of adolescent medicine at Weiss Memorial Hospital, and she says, "I wish abstinence-only education works, but it leaves gaping educational holes. There are those who are concerned if you don't give teens information they need and some education, that they are -- that they could be at a loss to deal with reality in some situations."

BENNETT: Well, I think our teens are getting the information they need. "USA Today" has just done -- there's a piece that came out recently saying that sex is the No. 1 struggle among teen girls. This was the American Association of University Women Survey of over 2,000 girls and overwhelmingly they said that one of the things they wanted to learn how to do was how to say "no," in emotionally charged relationships.

Our girls really want to say "no." And I think when you compromise them by presenting all the ways not to get pregnant -- you know sex isn't just about getting pregnant or not getting pregnant. Sex is a much deeper issue. It's about respect, it's about dignity, and there's also this thing called love that we think is very important. And so we really believe that we have the right message.

And I think a confusing message in which one says, "Well, we would prefer you didn't have sex, but here's the paraphernalia in case you do," is a mixed message. We believe it's something like saying, "All right, if you're going to drive drunk, wear a seat belt."

KELLEY: All right. We're out of time. Wish we had more time to chat with you this go-around. And I know that teen pregnancies are down about 20 percent since 1991, from HHS statistics. Elayne Bennet, founder of "Best Friends." Thanks very much, appreciate your time.

BENNETT: Thank you for having me.

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