Ontario Government Proposed 2015 Health
and Physical Education Curriculum for
Grade 1-8
The Issue
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The Ontario Ministry of Education is proposing a new Sex Education Curriculum
under the umbrella of Health and Physical Education which will come into effect
as of Fall 2015.
!
The curriculum was originally introduced in 2010 but was retracted after 3 days of
public backlash. Dalton McGuinty promised parents at the time that a public
consultation would take place before the curriculum is reintroduced.
The Concerns
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The ministry consultation process was extremely poor.
(No outreach was done to parents; instead, the chairs of 4000 Parent Councils across the
province were asked to fill out a survey without seeing the content of the curriculum. The
questions were generic and the chairs were advised not to consult with anyone in order to
maximize the value of the survey).
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The changes marginalize the role of parents in teaching their children about
values.
(In various parts, the curriculum attempts to create a clash between the children’s desires
and their parents’ religious and cultural beliefs).
The Concerns - continued
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The age-inappropriate material placed throughout the 2015 curriculum is seen as
an attempt to sexualize children in their early years; thereby making them easy
targets for sexual exploitation.
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The proposal is biased, since the then Deputy Minister of Education, Ben Levin,
who administered the curriculum content, was recently charged with seven counts
of child pornography as part of an international investigation. Levin pleaded guilty
to 3 of the 7 offences.
The Issue In Details by Grades
Grade 1 (6 years old)
Curriculum
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Parents’ Input
Human Development and Sexual Health ! Limit the vocabulary to “Penis &
C1.3 identify body parts, including
Vagina”. No need for extra detail at
genitalia (e.g., penis, testicles, vagina,
such a young age.
vulva), using correct terminology [PS]
! Replace other people with my
Teacher prompt: “We talk about all body
parents, my teacher or first
parts with respect. Why is it important
responder in emergencies.
to know about your own body, and use
correct names for the parts of your
body?” Student: “All parts of my body
are a part of me, and I need to know
how to take care of and talk about my
own body. If I’m hurt or need help, and I
know the right words, other people will
know what I’m talking about.” (p. 93).
Skip to actions needed
Grade 3 (8 or 9 years old)
Curriculum
!
C3.3
Parents’ Input
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Remove “gender identity and sexual
orientation” – Not age appropriate, introduce
in grade 10. (C1)
!
Gender identity is each person’s internal and
individual experience of gender. It is their
sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither,
or anywhere along the gender spectrum. A
person’s gender identity may be the same as
or different from their birth-assigned sex.
Gender identity is fundamentally different
from a person’s sexual orientation. (Definition
from the Ontario human rights code)
!
According to the code, It is clear that a 8/9
years old will neither have the capacity to
comprehend nor will have the experience of
gender. Since experiences come with practice
and from being involved in action
Teacher prompt:
describe how visible differences (e.g., …)
and invisible differences (e.g., … cultural
values and beliefs, gender identity, sexual
orientation ... (p. 124)
Grade 4 (9 or 10 years old)
Parents’ Input
Curriculum
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C1.5 Teacher prompt: “What can change
socially as you start to develop physically?”
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Student: “….. Some people start ‘liking’ others.
They want to be more than ‘just friends’ and
become interested in going out. Sometimes
people treat you as if you are older than you
actually are because of how you look.
Sometimes classmates, friends, or family make
comments or tease you about the changes.” (p.
141)
!
Remove – In conflict with most of
cultural teachings. (C4)
Grade 5 (10 or 11 years old)
Curriculum
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C2.4 Student Prompt:
Parents’ Input
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Remove “gender identity and sexual
orientation” – still controversial.
Move to grade 10 when the students
are mature enough to understand
the concept instead of confusing
them. (C7)
!
Also should not be listed among
“Things I cannot control” as is not
scientifically proven.
“Things I can control include …...
Things I cannot control include where I
was born, who is in my family, how
much money my family has, and
personal characteristics such as my skin
colour, hair colour, whether I am male or
female, my gender identity, sexual
orientation, and overall body shape and
structure.” (p. 159).
Grade 6 (11 or 12 years old)
Curriculum
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P. 172 - C1.1 Teacher prompt:
“Different types of drugs can have
very different effects on your body,
….
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Student: “Cannabis can change the
way you see and feel things –
distances can seem shorter or
longer than they really are, and
things that are serious can seem
funny
Parents’ Input
!
Remove the phrase “and things that
are serious can seem funny”. Such
phrase is very inviting, especially to
vulnerable children that might want
to escape the seriousness of their
less-than-ideal reality
Grade 6 (11 or 12 years old)
Curriculum
!
P. 172 - C1.3 identify factors that
affect the development of a
person’s self-concept (e.g.,
environment, evaluations by others
who are important to them,
stereotypes, awareness of strengths
and needs, social competencies,
cultural and gender identity,
support, body image, mental health
and emotional well-being, physical
abilities).
Parents’ Input
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C1.3 identify factors that affect the
development of a person’s selfconcept (e.g., environment,
evaluations by others who are
important to them, stereotypes,
awareness of strengths and needs,
social competencies, cultural and
religious beliefs, support, body
image, mental health and emotional
well-being, physical abilities)
Grade 6 (11 or 12 years old)
Curriculum
!
C2.5 Teacher prompt: “Things like
wet dreams or vaginal lubrication
are normal and happen as a result
of physical changes with puberty.
Exploring one’s body by touching or
masturbating is something that
many people do and find
pleasurable. It is common and is not
harmful and is one way of learning
about your body.”
Parents’ Input
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According to the Canadian
Criminal Code 152 - no one can
invite a child under the age of 16 to
touch himself/herself or them for a
sexual purpose. The penalty for this
offence is a mandatory minimum
period of imprisonment of up to a
maximum of 10 years;
!
According to research [ref] and
marriage counselling, masturbation
leads to unfulfilling relationships
Grade 6 (11 or 12 years old)
Curriculum
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P. 175 - C2.6 Teacher: “How does
knowing yourself help you to make
healthy decisions when you are in a
relationship?”
Parents’ Input
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Research shows that adolescents
don’t have fully developed
rationalization and decision making
skills; and should not feel obligated
to make decisions about sexual
relationships ...
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At this age they need to learn how to
make healthy decisions and choices
in all relationships, not only in a
romantic relationship.
Grade 6 (11 or 12 years old)
Curriculum
Parents’ Input
!
C3.3 Students: “Stereotypes are usually
formed when we do not have enough
information… we can work to change
stereotypes. We can understand people’s
sexual orientations better, for example,
by reading books that describe various
types of families and relationships.
!
Should be: ” .. We can understand our
differences better, for example, by
reading books that describe various
types of families and relationships …”
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…We need to make sure that we don’t
assume that all couples are of the
opposite sex, …, we could use a word
like ‘partner’ instead of ‘husband’ or
‘wife’. We need to be inclusive and
welcoming.” (p.177)
!
Both terms can co-exist (“partners” and
“husband and wife”). Asking the
students to replace “husband and wife”
is a breach to the Equity and Inclusion
Framework in Ontario.
Grade 7 (12 or 13 years old)
Curriculum
!
C1.3 explain the importance of having a
shared understanding with a partner
about the following: delaying sexual
activity until they are older (e.g.,
choosing to abstain from any genital
contact; choosing to abstain from having
vaginal or anal intercourse; choosing to
abstain from having oral-genital
contact); the reasons for not engaging in
sexual activity; the concept of consent
and how consent is communicated; and,
in general, the need to communicate
clearly with each other when making
decisions about sexual activity in the
relationship. (p. 195)
Parents’ Input
!
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Research suggests that early exposure to
sexually graphic material is likely to have a
negative influence on children.
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Prematurely sexualizing the child;
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Increases acceptance of high-risk behavior;
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Shapes expectations in relationships;
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Shapes expectations of physical appearances
and certain sexual acts;
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Increases risk of problematic sexual behavior
against others for experimentation
Laws about legal age for different sexual
practices & consent, as well as STD
statistics, should be made available.
Grade 7 (12 or 13 years old)
Curriculum
!
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C1.5 Teacher prompt: “Engaging in
sexual activities like oral sex, vaginal
intercourse, and anal intercourse means
that you can be infected with an STI. If
you do not have sex, you do not need to
worry about getting an STI. (By the way,
statistics show that young people who
delay first intercourse are more likely to
use protection when they choose to be
sexually active.)
If a person is thinking of having sex,
what can they do to protect
themselves?” (p. 196)
Parents’ Input
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Remove (oral sex, vaginal intercourse,
and anal intercourse).
!
Remove anal sex from the curriculum for
various health & legal reasons as detailed
in the proposal (pages 37-39)
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Students need to learn that even oral sex is
considered a sexual activity that can
transmit STDs. They are exposed to this
information from their peers. (C12)
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At this age they are considered children
and minors (<16), and cannot have sex
according to the Law.
Grade 7 (12 or 13 years old)
Curriculum
!
!
Student: “.. People who think they will
be having sex sometime soon should
keep a condom with them so they will
have it when they need it. They should
also talk with their partner about using a
condom before they have sex, so both
partners will know a condom will be
used. If a partner says they do not want
to use a condom, a person should say, ‘I
will not have sex without a condom.’
If you do have sex, it is important that
you use a condom every time, because
condoms help to protect you against
STIs, including HIV, and
Parents’ Input
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it is important to highlight the
limited effectiveness of condoms in
protecting against STD’s &
pregnancy.
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It is illegal and age inappropriate to
suggest to 11 and 12 year olds that
they could now have sex under the
condition they carry a condom.
Grade 7 (12 or 13 years old)
Curriculum
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HIV treatment can reduce the
amount of HIV in someone’s body to
the point where it is much less
likely that HIV will be transmitted.
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HIV is transmitted through contact
with bodily fluids – semen, blood,
vaginal or anal fluid, and breast
milk
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One of the best things you can do to
stop HIV is to stop the stigma that is
associated with having the infection
Parents’ Input
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In some cases, HIV treatment can
reduce the amount of HIV in
someone’s body to the point where
it is much less likely that HIV will be
transmited.
!
Remove the phrase “anal fluid”. We
failed to find a medical term in any
REPUTABLE or TRUSTED sources
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It is misleading & dangerous to say
that stopping a `stigma’ about any
disease, would in any way stop the
disease itself.
Grade 7 (12 or 13 years old)
Curriculum
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P. 199 - C2.4 Teacher prompt: “Thinking
about your sexual health is complicated.
It’s important to have a good
understanding of yourself before getting
involved with someone else. It’s not just
about making a decision to have sex or
waiting until you are older. It’s also
about things such as your physical
readiness; safer sex and avoiding
consequences such as pregnancy or STIs;
your sexual orientation and gender
identity; your understanding of your own
body, including what gives you pleasure.
Parents’ Input
!
“… It’s not just about making a decision
to have sex or waiting until you are older.
It’s mainly about things such as your
physical readiness; safety and avoiding
consequences such as pregnancy or STIs;
your understanding of your own body and
the emotional implications of sexual
intimacy and being in a relationship.”
!
Inviting students to understand what
gives them pleasure is an open invitation
to have sex to experiment and explore.
Grade 7 (12 or 13 years old)
Curriculum
!
P. 199 - C2.4 Teacher prompt: “Thinking
about your sexual health is complicated.
It’s important to have a good
understanding of yourself before getting
involved with someone else. It’s not just
about making a decision to have sex or
waiting until you are older. It’s also
about things such as your physical
readiness; safer sex and avoiding
consequences such as pregnancy or STIs;
your sexual orientation and gender
identity; your understanding of your own
body, including what gives you pleasure.
Parents’ Input
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A key responsibility of the curriculum is
to protect the health of students by
educating them, particularly girls, about
the physical development of their bodies
and how waiting until adulthood is always
the healthiest choice for sex.
!
Sexual orientation and gender identity to
be introduced in grade 10
Grade 8 (13 or 14 years old)
Curriculum
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C1.5 demonstrate an understanding
of gender identity (e.g., male,
female, two-spirited, transgender,
transsexual, intersex), gender
expression, and sexual orientation
(e.g., heterosexual, gay, lesbian,
bisexual), and identify factors that
can help individuals of all identities
and orientations develop a positive
self-concept (p. 216)
Parents’ Input
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Remove and introduce in grade 10.
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Why do 13 year olds need to
“demonstrate an understanding” of such
detailed information on a subject that is
extremely controversial? It completely
disregards the Judeo-Christian values
that are described in section 264 of the
Ontario Education Act.
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Wording suggests to unsuspecting minors
that they don’t have a choice in their
gender and orientation, which is a highly
controversial statement that research
has not proven to be true as of yet.
Grade 8 (13 or 14 years old)
Curriculum
!
!
P. 218 - C2.3 explain how stress
affects mental health and
emotional well-being, and
demonstrate an understanding of
how to use a variety of strategies
for relieving stress and caring for
their mental health (e.g., engaging
in physical activity, listening to
music, resting, meditating, talking
with a trusted individual, practising
smudging
“Some First Nation people, for
example, use smudging to relieve
stress...”
Parents’ Input
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Smudging is used by First Nation people
and in conflict with some other cultures.
It may also be perceived as New Age
Religion which is in conflict with some
other religions
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Talking to and seeking advice from their
parents/guardians should be on the list
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How Can You Help to Stop this?
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If you are convinced with the changes proposed by “the well-informed parent” group, which
this presentation summarised, fill the disclaimer, sign and send it back.
http://www.thewellinformedparent.com/resources
“Your disclaimer will be used to support the proposal to the Ministry.”
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Visit the link http://www.thewellinformedparent.com/letters-to-your-mpps , and download any
letter format you like, sign and send to your MPP or MP.
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Be involved and raise your concern, it is your child and/or grandchild at stake.
!
It is Your Right.
Summary
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We are not opposed to the change of curriculum in general but opposed to certain points
that are major and not acceptable, hence, we are criticizing the lack of consultation with
parents.
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Parents are the main educators and they need to be heavily consulted in any moral and
sexual messaging to their kids (This is not a math curriculum where input from experts is
the main driver).
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We need to add a guarantee that the teachers will not add their own experiences or
influence the children in any way and that they will stick to the factual information.
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The concept of sexual consent should be aligned with the Canadian Law and a reference to
the Law needs to be stressed. (C14)
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We have concerns about sections that are not age appropriate (C1, C2, C7, C12, C14, C15)
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We have concerns about sections that would encourage kids on conducting illegal sexual
behaviour before the age of 16. (C11, C12, C14)
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We have concerns about sections that would encourage actions that are not aligned with
the other cultural teachings. (C4, C5, C9, C11, C12, C14)
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We have concerns about sections that need to be more accurately defined (C3, C6, C8, C10,
C12, C13).