'Walking on egg shells': Teachers say they lack preparation for teaching sex ed
New Brunswick teachers want to be better prepared when they talk to students about sex, says a visiting scholar at the University of New Brunswick.
"There isn't really any course right now at the University of New Brunswick that prepares teachers to talk about sex in schools," said Dr. Katie MacEntee from the faculty of environmental studies at York University.
MacEntee, whose areas of study include sexual health education, spoke this week to teachers and others in Fredericton about sex education from a teacher's perspective.
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She said school is a great place to teach students about sex because so many children go through the education system.
At some point, she said, all teachers will have to engage in sex education, whether it be after hearing homophobic language in the hallways or responding to a disclosure of a sexual assault against a student.
"You need to be prepared for this as a teacher, and actually integrating that into teacher training could be really important," MacEntee said in an interview with Information Morning Fredericton.
Afraid to offend someone
But Lynn Randall, a professor with UNB's faculty of education UNB, suggested the kind of preparation MacEntee and teachers are seeking isn't likely to happen.
She said the university does address sex education training with instructors and nurses coming in as guest speakers. There are also a number of lessons available on the faculty's "learning management system."
Randall acknowledged that teachers are looking for more help, but said it was mainly out of fear.
"They're looking for the script," Randall, said. "What do I say? Because they are scared to death to offend someone."
Teachers don't want to say something that could be misconstrued or misunderstood by a student, she said.
They worry that students will tell their parents, who will then raise the issue with the principal and teacher.
A nightmare for teachers
Randall said there's also the possibility of backlash from certain groups in the community. When there's potential for backlash, teachers start "walking on egg shells."
"It just becomes a nightmare for the school and the teacher," she said.
"They're so sensitive to the issue, that possible backlash, that that's why they're always looking for more."
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But Randall said the faculty of education is hesitant to provide scripts to teachers, since students and classrooms are different across the province.
Controversy related to sex education led the new Ontario government under Doug Ford to drop an updated sex ed curriculum that had upset some parents and conservative groups. The government said schools will revert to the 1998 curriculum this fall until an alternative can be worked out with the help of parents.
Randall said it's a continuing challenge for schools to balance the teaching with keeping parents involved in their children's education.
When the issues are sensitive, she said, it's important teachers stick to the "outcome of the curriculum."
The curricular outcome, she said, is making sure students understand the topic, and this is achieved through class discussions, assignments and projects.
Depending on what grade they're in, students will learn about different topics within sex education.
Avoiding controversy
For instance, the "outcome" for Grade 6 students is an understanding of the changes that happen during puberty, the structure of male and female reproductive systems and sexuality.
In Grade 8, it's an understanding of the responsibilities of becoming sexually active and the role of the media when it comes to dating and becoming sexually active.
"Everything you do, just make sure it's directed toward that curricular outcome, simply because if there is controversy, if a parent or a group is upset about what you do, you go back and you say, 'I was teaching the curriculum,'" she said.
"And that's what teachers are hired to do … to deliver the curriculum to kids."
Last update 13 years ago
New Brunswick's sex education curriculum was last updated in 2005 for students in Grade 6 to 8.
The coursework includes topics such as becoming sexually active and sexual orientation but not pornography, sexting or cyber safety in relation to sexual health.
When students have questions about something that isn't in the curriculum, such as sexting, Randall encouraged teachers to teach in a way that will help students understand. For instance, they could Google a definition together as a class.
CBC News tried to talk to the New Brunswick Teachers' Association about the sex ed curriculum but did not get a response.
