referred to by some as the new 'sexual education' (or sex-ed) curriculum â seems ... face difficult situations and mak
New Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum Long Overdue By Shawn Woods Communicable Disease Control Manager Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit Schools are considered the place to provide students with the knowledge they need to succeed in life. If that is so, the ongoing backlash against Ontario’s new Health and Physical Education Curriculum – referred to by some as the new ‘sexual education’ (or sex-ed) curriculum – seems very puzzling. As adults, we want our children to have the best and most current information so they are equipped to face difficult situations and make good decisions. We will not always be there to protect our children, whether it’s in Junior Kindergarten, high school or university, so helping young people grow up to be healthy, resilient and well-adjusted individuals is in everybody’s best interest. Ontario’s new sex-ed curriculum, part of the larger Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum (www.ontario.ca/hpe), is an age-appropriate, well-researched resource for students that is long overdue. Rather than being questioned or undermined, the new curriculum should be embraced by all of us! Much of the opposition to the curriculum has come from parents who feel they – and not teachers – should discuss sex-ed topics with their children. Opponents have taken issue with specific parts of the curriculum, such as: Grade 1 students being taught to identify body parts by their proper names, including genitalia; children in Grade 3 learning about same-sex relationships and gender identity; Grade 4 students being taught about the physical changes that take place during puberty; and topics such as sexual consent and masturbation being taught in Grade 6. It is never easy to talk about puberty, relationships and other sexual health issues with young people. But the more we have these meaningful conversations, both at home and in school, the better off we are in the end. Research shows that children enter puberty earlier, so teaching them at a younger age to prepare for and understand the changes taking place in their bodies makes perfect sense. The previous sex-ed curriculum, which was part of the Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Health and Physical Education, 1998, was very outdated and ill-equipped to deal with the explosion in technology and social media. While young people now have online access to helpful resources, there is also plenty of harmful and incorrect information on the web. With the new curriculum, educators and parents can provide accurate and up-to-date information to help young people be digitally safe, understand consent and address current issues such as the risks of sexting. Students also benefit by knowing how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections. The new Health and Physical Education Curriculum, of which sex-ed is only one part, was not developed overnight. The new curriculum was developed over several years, based on input from experts in public health, education, child psychology, nutrition and physical activity. It also involved extensive consultation with educators, religious organizations and parents.
The new Health and Physical Education Curriculum is also much broader than what people may think. It is not just about sex, but provides instruction on how students can be healthy citizens. The curriculum covers many aspects of health and well-being, including physical activity, nutrition, mental health, personal safety, injury prevention, substance use and addictions, and healthy relationships. The curriculum supports students to learn to:
Understand themselves and others. Think critically, while helping them make and promote healthy choices. Develop and maintain healthy relationships. Be safe physically and emotionally. Be physically active for life in order to thrive.
At the Health Unit, our mandate is to help people make safe and informed choices about their sexual health, as well as their overall well-being. With the new Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum, the Health Unit and teachers have an excellent tool to assist parents and students in that task. Once we get by the misinformation, we see a valuable classroom resource that benefits everyone! -30-
