Ontario Public School Board Association Gets It Right!
The Province of Ontario has made the decision to empower its young people by overhauling "Sexual Health Education".
As the result of recommendations by the Ontario Public School Board Association, the province's schools will broaden the scope of Sex. Ed. and start teaching it earlier.
Starting in grade 6, students will learn about gender stereotypes and homophobia. In grade 7, sexually transmitted diseases and preventative measures; grade 8, sexual identity and dating violence; and grade 9, gender-based violence, sexual harassment and more detail about previously covered issues.
This forward-thinking approach will be difficult for those teachers who are uncomfortable with the material, and no doubt many parents and religious groups will be up in arms about schools stepping into areas where families should be teaching their children based on their beliefs.
Too bad, so sad.
What it all boils down to is knowledge. Knowledge is power, and the more children learn about their bodies, their feelings, their rights and the rights of others, the more self-control they will gain, the more good decisions they will be able to make, and the more choices they will discover.
Children and young adults are exceptionally curious and thirsty for facts about all things sexual. They are much better served by curriculum that provides information that is current and age appropriate than they are by images, language, and details that they come by on television or the Internet, in the fashion industry, video games, magazines, song lyrics, or graphic fiction, or in movies.
Some great teachers have always helped their students navigate the difficult years of puberty, and now have the opportunity to discuss further the realities of being a teenager in 2009. Other teachers will balk, but they hold great responsibility in their positions as educators, and the young people they teach need them to put aside their discomfort and do the right thing.
As for parents who want their children to learn about their bodies, feelings and rights at home; if they haven't begun teaching healthy sexuality to their children by the sixth grade, they've already failed, and it's a good thing there's a teacher who can help that child before it's too late.
As the result of recommendations by the Ontario Public School Board Association, the province's schools will broaden the scope of Sex. Ed. and start teaching it earlier.
Starting in grade 6, students will learn about gender stereotypes and homophobia. In grade 7, sexually transmitted diseases and preventative measures; grade 8, sexual identity and dating violence; and grade 9, gender-based violence, sexual harassment and more detail about previously covered issues.
This forward-thinking approach will be difficult for those teachers who are uncomfortable with the material, and no doubt many parents and religious groups will be up in arms about schools stepping into areas where families should be teaching their children based on their beliefs.
Too bad, so sad.
What it all boils down to is knowledge. Knowledge is power, and the more children learn about their bodies, their feelings, their rights and the rights of others, the more self-control they will gain, the more good decisions they will be able to make, and the more choices they will discover.
Children and young adults are exceptionally curious and thirsty for facts about all things sexual. They are much better served by curriculum that provides information that is current and age appropriate than they are by images, language, and details that they come by on television or the Internet, in the fashion industry, video games, magazines, song lyrics, or graphic fiction, or in movies.
Some great teachers have always helped their students navigate the difficult years of puberty, and now have the opportunity to discuss further the realities of being a teenager in 2009. Other teachers will balk, but they hold great responsibility in their positions as educators, and the young people they teach need them to put aside their discomfort and do the right thing.
As for parents who want their children to learn about their bodies, feelings and rights at home; if they haven't begun teaching healthy sexuality to their children by the sixth grade, they've already failed, and it's a good thing there's a teacher who can help that child before it's too late.
posted by Alphamutt at 2:51 PM
1 Comments:
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