Now 22 boards are citing sex-ed concerns

The Near North school board says the 1998 sex-ed curriculum is not appropriate for kids “in our very changed world of 2018.”

The public board — in the Parry Sound and North Bay areas — is 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 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,” says a statement released Tuesday by chair David Thompson. The statement also says the Near North District School 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 said he understands why the government wants to hold consultations with parents — as Premier Doug Ford promised during the election — but 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 added, 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.

His letter was sent to Ford, Education Minister Lisa Thompson, and local PC MPPs Vic Fedeli and Norm Miller.

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