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HomeNewsNear North board chairman welcomes review of sex-ed curriculum but also has...

Near North board chairman welcomes review of sex-ed curriculum but also has concerns

It’s mixed feelings for Dave Thompson, the chair of the Near North District School Board, after the new P.C. government announced community consultations for the sex education curriculum.

Thompson welcomes the news saying the biggest complaint when the former Liberal government first proposed the sex-ed program was the consultations weren’t extensive.

“It heard from about 4,000 parents province-wide which is like one parent per school across Ontario,” Thompson said.

He adds the consultation also heard from about 750 teachers.

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However Tory Minister of Education Lisa Thompson is promising a thorough consultation with parents over the coming months.

But Dave Thompson wants to know what happens in the interim.

He says sex-ed has been taught in schools the last two years and was to be fully implemented during the upcoming school year.

“We’re waiting for instruction from the Ministry of Education because there’s a bit of confusion on what the teachers are supposed to teach,” he said.

“Are they supposed to teach part of the new curriculum or not.  This is the challenge because what do they teach?”

Thompson says teachers need to know soon because they’re planning for the resumption of school.

Thompson believes the revised curriculum will be in place for the 2019-20 school year which gives plenty of time for community consultations to take place over the next several months and then work the public suggestions into the curriculum.

In the meantime Thompson encourages parents in the Near North area to read the current curriculum.

“This way you’ll know what you’re talking about or are against,” he said.

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