Ontario pulls out of sex-ed revision
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Information is power, right? Or something like that, anyway. And information about sex isn’t just powerful, it’s also apparently pretty scary – at least, according to the vocal opponents to Ontario’s proposed changes to sex education courses for public schools. The details sparked a fairly strong public reaction this week, and forced the Ontario government to step back from its plans to introduce the new curriculum changes in September. The about-face came after opposition that ranged from simple doubts about how much information kids ought to have at a young age, to accusations that the province was trying to push a homosexual agenda. Let’s discuss.
First, let’s get to those juicy controversial details of the proposed changes. From the Globe and Mail:
The revision…will for the first time teach Grade 3 pupils about such topics as sexual identity and orientation, and introduce terms like “anal intercourse” and “vaginal lubrication” to children in Grades 6 and 7. The new curriculum begins in Grade 1 with lessons about the proper names of body parts. […]
Some of the most controversial changes are in the Grade 3 curriculum. In a discussion on human development and showing respect for people’s differences, for example, teachers are invited to discuss “invisible differences,” including gender identity and sexual orientation, in an effort to reflect the fact that more and more students have same-sex parents.
Most of the reaction hit on two points: that teaching kids the proper names of body parts (read: penis, etc.) would start at such a young age, and – unsurprisingly – that there would be mention of the fact that there are gay people on planet Earth and that, y’know, they live among us.
The president of Somali Parents for Education told the Globe and Mail that, “There’s a big reaction in the Muslim community. We believe that basically that sex education may be taught by the parents to their children. It’s not public, it’s a private matter…”.
And the suggestion that kids might learn about same-sex relationships, especially in conjunction with things like “anal intercourse,” had others simply heaving with passionate anger.
The National Post reported that Charles McVety of the Canada Christian College had this to say on the matter:
It’s not about this curriculum, it’s about changing the culture in our schools… We warned the country about this when same-sex marriage came in. We changed the laws in this country, redefined marriage, the end result now this is coming into our classrooms.
This is part of a militant homosexual agenda to normalize homosexuality in everyone’s mind and thereby promote homosexuality. If we teach our children these things … guess what? That’s what they’ll practice.
First, a quick note on the “militant homosexual agenda”: utter bollocks. That’s like saying that eating too much chicken will make you gay, or that learning that there are short people in the world will stunt your growth. It’s ridiculous. Let’s move on.
Second, kids already sort of know that stuff like homosexuality and intercourse exist. Duh, they watch Gossip Girl and it’s not 1955. It’s not even 1995 for that matter – the kind of information highlighted by the proposed changes is ubiquitous in school hallways, thanks to things like the Internet, popular culture and, oh yeah, the fact that kids are curious and they speak to one another.
Don’t believe me? Just ask Ontario medical officer of health, Dr. David McKeown, who said this:
Kids need clear, unbiased, age-appropriate information and parents need the support offered by a strong sexual health program in schools. In a culture where unreliable information is rampant, it is essential that our schools protect public health and promote healthy sexuality by providing evidence-driven and comprehensive sexual education. Research shows that when young people have good sexual health knowledge, they postpone sex and have lower rates of teen pregnancy, and they practice safer sex when they become sexually active.
Right. Young people have a certain amount of information and what they’re most likely not searching for is ways to put it into practice so much as for validation of their knowledge. Granted, having a parent discuss it is a good step, but there’s also something to be said for learning the basics as a group – it has a way of normalizing everything, and suddenly the information doesn’t seem so exclusive. I remember being a teenager sitting in a sex ed class. When the teacher showed us pictures of genitalia or when we saw spermicidal lube for the first time, we laughed it off and fooled around, but that didn’t mean we weren’t listening.
Knowing about sex is kind of like knowing a lot about politics. On the surface the process seems pretty straight forward: you put your vote in, and democracy comes out. But actually, once you start looking into it a bit, you realize that the details quickly start to make the whole situation a lot more complicated. Suddenly, the political process adopts a few more facets, with plenty of opportunity for mistakes when you least expect them. But having more information doesn’t mean that you’ll stop voting, it just means that you’ll suddenly be able to properly contextualize your actions, and have an adequate framework in which to place the potential consequences of your voting practices. It makes you a more conscientious citizen. Like I said at the beginning: information is power.
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Mr. Horgan,
Thank you for this piece. This an example of unwarranted censorship brought about by ignorance and fear mongering.
How many people do you know who learned about sex from their parents? Of those that did, how many learned the *truth* about it?
I second that. There are parents who are idiots and either deliberately misinform their children or, since they bring their culture here, beat them black and blue for asking such a question. Though not related to sex in what I’m about to mention, there was a Pakistani father who murdered his daughter and then buried her parts in a park simply because she asked him for $15 for school photos. Don’t think that all Muslims like me supported his sickening acts.
I personally am not comfortable with teaching pre-pubescent children about sex. Keep it in the 6th and 7th grades when they’re entering puberty.
In response to another comment. See in context »[...] Ontario pulls discover of sex-ed writing – Colin Horgan – Yesterday's … [...]
In Ontario you need two degrees to become a teacher, while you need only a broken condom to become a parent. Why exactly should we listen to parents when it comes to deciding sex education? What exactly makes them such experts? Take sexual orientation, for example, and the fact that every medical and psychological association in North America has acknowledged it is unchangeable.
Furthermore, it is about time that the Catholic school boards were dismantled and absorbed into the public (secular) system. It is also about time that religious organizations and charities lost all of their tax benefits and special perks. People are welcome to indoctrinate their children in privacy, but I have no interest in subsidizing bigotry.
And are we really taking advice on child sexuality from the Catholics? Really? It is certainly easier to molest young people when they are ignorant.
Also, I am quite sick and tired of this idea that children are “innocent”. Anyone with internet access can find peer-reviewed journals discussing masturbation in the womb and the sexual nature of children. Humans are sexual creatures from the very beginning, and nothing parents do can change that. But I guess some people get off on psychologically abusing their children and filling them with a lifetime of guilt, shame, and complexes.
I mean, it is perfect legal in Canada for parents to mutilate their child’s penis, even though he cannot legally give consent to sexual relations with an adult, let alone give consent to have a perfectly healthy sex organ cut up. That’s sexual assault of the very worst kind, yet where are the protests against this? If there’s any danger to children when it comes to questions of sexuality, the danger comes from their parents, not the schools or strangers in dark alleyways.
As usual, Trevor, you have a particular way of putting things. Thanks for that, as I always enjoy it. As for the two degrees versus a broken condom, it’s an interesting point, but it’s difficult to really equate the two, don’t you think? Besides, even educated people can be idiots when it comes to raising children…
In response to another comment. See in context »Well, I suppose my point was that successfully conceiving a child does not make one an expert about anything. We shouldn’t be listening to parents over psychologists and medical doctors when it comes to something like sexual orientation, for example.
In response to another comment. See in context »[...] Ontario pulls out of sex-ed revision (trueslant.com) [...]