Boards citing sex-ed concerns now at 22

1998 curriculum doesn’t teach kids about ‘very changed world of 2018’

Ontario’s 1998 sex-ed curriculum is not appropriate for students “in our very changed world of 2018,” the Near North District School Board said Tuesday.

The public school board in the Parry Sound and North Bay area became the 22nd in the province to raise concerns about the Progressive Conservative government’s plan to have teachers use the two-decade-old curriculum this fall as it holds consultations across the province before making reforms.

“The ease with which our children can access information online makes it enormously challenging for parents and educators and it is critical that we provide guidance to our children so that they remain safe and informed,” board chair David Thompson said in a statement.

The statement added that the board “remains committed to teaching that promotes inclusion and diversity.”

In an interview, Thompson said his board will continue teaching students about “gender issues, internet safety, healthy relationships and informed consent” even though those issues aren’t covered in the old lessons.

He understands why the government wants to hold consultations with parents — as Premier Doug Ford promised dur- ing the election — but said government ministers have been sending mixed messages “and we’ve got to think of today’s students.”

“We can’t go back to the 1998 curriculum — there are just too many issues,” Thompson said, noting youth in the area need up-to-date information about sexual health because of higher-than-average rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia.

Thompson said he doesn’t think that many changes will ultimately be made to the curriculum, “but it will allow everyone to say, ‘You had your chance to speak.’ ”

Meanwhile, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board approved a motion asking the province to keep the 2015 curriculum, given the old curriculum does not mention LGBTQ issues or cyberbullying.

“We strive to ensure that all students and staff can see themselves clearly embedded in the curriculum. We want them to be safe, welcomed, and feel that they are valued members of their school community,” said board chair Todd White in a statement. Education Minister Lisa Thompson said Monday that “teachers are going to be going back to what they taught in 2014, and they’re familiar with that curriculum.

“Through the campaign we heard loud and clear parents were not happy with the direction the former Liberal government took,” she said.