'We never bury our heads in the sand'

While some of the topics to be covered under the Ontario Ministry of Education’s new Health and Physical Education curriculum will strike some as controversial, the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (HSCDSB) plans to deliver it alongside its traditional teachings.

Under the new curriculum, announced by the province February 23 as an update to the last Health and Physical Education curriculum introduced in 1998, children in Grade 1 will begin learning the names of body parts such as penis and vagina.

As another example, discussion of “gender expression” and masturbation will be introduced in Grade 6, along with discussion of marijuana use.

“It’s going to be taught within the context of the church’s teachings…we never bury our heads in the sand as Catholic boards,” said John Stadnyk, HSCDSB director of education, speaking to SooToday in a telephone interview.

“It’ll be taught in the context of the church’s teachings and morality (with a focus on) health and safety.”

“We have our Family Life Program…and the bishops will be taking the curriculum and fitting it into our Family Life Program, so I’m comfortable that the curriculum will be taught with the proper lens and perspective, addressed in terms of Catholic education.”

Algoma District School Board (ADSB) officials told SooToday at their last board meeting parents within that system will have the choice to opt their children out of the sex education part of the new curriculum.

Will there be an opt out choice for parents with children in Huron-Superior schools?

“When students sign up for our programs they participate in all aspects of our programs, including religious education and family life,” Stadnyk said.

“We have a history of communicating with our parents what topics are going to be taught, and our curriculum will be shaped by Catholic education.”

“I’m optimistic it’ll be status quo in our boards once the new curriculum has been shaped by our Family Life Program, so we don’t really talk about opting out, we communicate with our parents and make sure they’re informed in terms of the topics that are covered, but again it’s all in the context of Catholic education,” Stadnyk said.

“Our kids will be informed to make good choices.”

The curriculum, to be taught at public and Catholic schools between Grades 1 to Grades 12 beginning this fall, includes a new emphasis on the concept of sexual consent (the age of sexual consent in Ontario is 16).

Other aspects of the new curriculum will include discussion, in Grade 7, of anal and oral sex and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The dangers of “sexting,” the exchange of explicit photos and information online, will be discussed in Grade 7 as well.

In Grade 8, students will learn about “gender identity, sexual orientation and self-concept,” and also taught to make decisions pertaining to sexual activity and contraception.