Tell us: What do you think of Ford's decision to revert back to old sex-ed curriculum?
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has made good on his campaign promise to repeal the province’s current sex education curriculum.
Lisa Thompson, the education minister for Ontario, said students will be learning from the sex-ed curriculum in place before the Liberals switched it in 2015. The Ontario Tories were vocally critical of the move by former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government.
The 2015 curriculum introduced students to concepts that did not exist in 1998, such as “sexting” and online bullying. It also provided students with information on same-sex marriage, gender identity and masturbation.
Here’s what the Ontario government website outlined what students in Grade 8 would learn about in the 2015 curriculum:
Factors that could affect someone’s ability to make safe and healthy decisions about sexual activity;
Sources of support related to sexual health (e.g., parents, health professionals, in-school resources, local community groups, religious leaders, elders)
Gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation, and how to identify factors that can help all young people to develop positive personal identities
The curriculum students will be learning in September was last updated in 1998. It will remain in place until the Tories conduct a “fulsome consultation respecting parents” on modernizing it, Thompson said.
In the 1998 curriculum, students were encouraged to “explain the term abstinence as it applies to healthy sexuality,” and sexual diversity is not mentioned at all.
On Twitter, many people expressed their disappointment with the decision:
.@LisaThompsonMPP Hi! Teaching about gender, consent and body safety is an important part of health education. Don't repeal the 2015 updates from the #sexed curriculum.
— 🔥Sam🔥 (@SMGB25) July 11, 2018
When things were created:
Snapchat – 2011
Google+ – 2011
Instagram – 2010
Tumblr – 2007
Twitter- 2006
Facebook – 2004
Ontario's old sex curriculum we're reverting back to – 1998Times have changed, sex education must also change#sexed #ontario
— Colleen B (@ColleensWords) July 11, 2018
Others lauded the Ontario government for taking a step back:
It's time for parents to get involved in their children's lives. it is not teachers or the governments responsibility to teach children anything but the basics and facts. #sexed
— Dean Wells (@DeanWel61246406) July 11, 2018
congrats on doing your job as a parent! schools are meant to teach basics, time for parents to take responsibility #sexed
— Dean Wells (@DeanWel61246406) July 11, 2018
Umm do these children not have parents to teach them, talk to them, be open with them? Not the end of the world not like the kids pay attention in class anyways #sexed
— Jason Rodgers (@JasonRodgers_13) July 11, 2018
We want to to know – do you agree with Ford’s decision to get rid of the 2015 update to sex-ed? Vote below and let us know what you think in the comments!