School group urges FFord to keep new sex-ed

Premier-designate Doug Ford is running into fresh flak for his plan to scrap Ontario’s updated sex-education curriculum, a kkey election promise to appease t the social conservative wing of his PC party.

“We’re repealing it,” he said Friday F essons, when implemented asked if the three new yyears ago in the first modern- ization since 1998, would be aaxed in time for the start of school in September.

“I’ll sit down with the new cabinet and with the minister of education and discuss that with them. We keep our promises. WWhat we say we’re gonna do, w we’re gonna do.”

Outgoing Premier Kathleen Wynne W chool and Boards the Ontario Association Public warned the move will leave cchildren more vulnerable in the internet and social-media era, because they won’t learn about consent, sexting or online dangers like cyberbullying.

“It is 2018, it is not 1965,” Wynne told reporters at Queen’s Park.

Cathy Abraham, newly elected president of the public school boards group, said she wwill urge Ford to recognize the importance of the changes.

She noted that the sex-ed lessons are part of a broader reform of the health and physical education curriculum, which the association fully supports.

The sex-ed portion is a small part of the curriculum, she noted. “When people read it, they realize it’s not quite as adver-w tised by some folks.”