Luisa D’Amato’s view:
Ford’s sex-education curriculum isn’t as bad as they say
The sky is not falling, folks.
When children return to school next week, they will continue to be taught the proper names for their body parts (Grade 1), how to handle bullying and abuse online or in person (Grade 4), and strategies to resist pressure and say no to sex, drugs and other hazardous activities (Grade 6).
Yes, Premier Doug Ford scrapped the sex-education curriculum for elementary students, and replaced it with an earlier version from 1998, while gathering the opinions of more parents on how to teach this sensitive material. After that, a new curriculum will be produced.
All this was something he promised to do if elected. He won. He is keeping his promise. That’s democracy at work.
Nevertheless, there has been an uproar, with some people saying the interim curriculum is dangerous for students, especially those who are lesbian, gay, and transgender.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association launched a legal challenge. Its executive director, Michael Bryant, called Ford’s move “a ham-fisted dog whistle of bigotry and homophobia dressed up as a consultation fix."
Of course he did. He’s a former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister.
But let’s shrug off the politics, and look at what actually might happen this fall.
Ford has a lot of power. But there are checks and balances in the system that will ensure our kids are being taught about today’s world, not that of 20 years ago.
First line of defence is the elementary teachers. Protected by their powerful union, and suspicious of Ford’s Conservatives, they’ve suggested they will disregard his directive.
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario recently promised to “use their professional judgment to ensure they are creating safe and healthy classrooms for all students and providing the information that students need to deal with the realities of 2018.”
They’ll succeed, because the curriculum is simply a framework upon which the teachers build their lessons. If it calls for “respect for diversity” (which it does) a teacher can talk about gay and lesbian marriages as part of that, even if those marriages aren’t specifically mentioned.
The second line of defence is the curriculum itself.
If you go to the Ministry of Education website and read it, you’ll see it’s a little dated, but the core values are right where we are.
It urges teachers to build a learning environment for students that’s safe physically and emotionally. Resilience and a positive self-concept are skills to be taught. Respect and acceptance of diversity, including gender identity and sexual orientation, is key to healthy relationships.
The final defence is provided by local school boards.
Waterloo Region District School Board chair Scott McMillan says the board’s strategic plan states: “Our students are first, each and every one.”
“That includes our LGBTQ students,” McMillan said. And trustees can support staff who support these students.
Ford’s move is also a chance to make this curriculum better. It won’t hurt to hear from more people. In the fractious weeks to come, it will also help to remember that the clock can never really be turned back, even if you wanted to try.