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New sex education curriculum draws criticism by Rachael Williams Metroland Media West 5 | Friday, February 27, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com A Milton woman is leading the charge to convince the Province that the newly-revised Health and Physical Education curriculum needs a complete overhaul. "The curriculum is making children sexuallyawakened and aware of things that they don't need to be sexually-awakened (to) and aware of," said Lorraine La Vigne, a mother of two registered in the Halton Catholic District School Board. La Vigne has reached out to everyone on her email contact list to sign a petition created in November 2014 called `Stop Graphic Revisions to Ontario's Sex Education Curriculum', which has now amassed more than 47,000 signatures. The new curriculum will see some material about sex and human development delivered to students a grade or two earlier than has been the practice and includes newer concepts, such as sexting, cyber-bullying and mental health issues. In her email, La Vigne charges there was a lack of public consultation. "The government suggests parents had input that was considered in the revision process of the curriculum," she said, but questions the claim. In interviews with Metroland West Media Group -- Halton, Ontario Minister of Education Liz Sandals and Halton MPP Indira NaidooHarris stated consultation began in 2007. "I've been all over the province... parents told me they wanted this curriculum updated. There are two or three million parents in Ontario. I can't talk to them all, so we made the decision that the best thing to do was get an accurate sample," said Sandals. One parent from every publicly-funded elementary and secondary school was invited to complete an anonymous online survey and the results were factored into the creation of the new curriculum, according to Sandals. This was Our kids are living in a different world. Children now have access to quite explicit material that is unreliable, inaccurate and offensive.... (This new legislation) really is the most consulted piece of curriculum in our government's history. This is the one that has had the most homework done on it. Indira Naidoo-Harris Halton MPP Organization (WHO), as well as parents, students, teachers, universities, colleges and numerous stakeholder groups. "It really is the most consulted piece of curriculum in our government's history. This is the one that has had the most homework done on it," she said. While La Vigne does not dispute some consultation took place, she questions the results of the survey and says members of school councils should have been advised to share the information and direct parents to the proper channels if they were concerned about its content. "Instead, they (the Ministry of Education) put out pamphlets on their website in an easyto-consume form with a quick rundown of the new curriculum, but it does not go into detail about the language our children will be hearing," said La Vigne. The language she is referring to includes terms like anal sex, oral sex and masturbation. The new curriculum would teach Grade 1 students the correct terms for genitalia, Grade 3's about gender identity, Grade 6's about masturbation and Grade 7 students would see Parent on p.7 representative of nearly 4,000 parents. Marnie Denton, Halton District School Board (HDSB) manager of communication services, confirmed the consultation procedure outlined by the ministry was followed in the fall of 2014. Denton said the data went directly back to the ministry and was shared with the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) -- a board-wide committee that includes many school council chairs and parents. Naidoo-Harris shared some of the survey results: 98 per cent of respondents agreed it was important curriculum be reviewed and updated, and 96 per cent said health and education should be a top priority so students did not get information from untrustworthy sources. "Our kids are living in a different world," she said, noting the current curriculum has been in place for more than 16 years. "Children now have access to quite explicit material that is unreliable, inaccurate and offensive," she said. Naidoo-Harris noted consultation also included more than 70 health-related organizations, including the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the Healthy Schools Coalition, and the World Health A STEP BEYOND IN CARE Do you have: Salima Kassam Reg. Chiropodist · Foot/Arch Pain? · Ingrown Toenails? · Diabetes? · Swollen Ankles? · Corns, Calluses? Call for an appointment 905-632-1414 728 Burloak Drive www.footandhealthclinic.com For our clients, their guests and prospective clients Lunch, Learn & Enjoy Avoiding Transition Trauma Buying? Selling? Re-financing? 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