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Ontario’s revised sex ed curriculum sparked a rally outside Queens Park this morning.
Hundreds of demonstrators protested the sex ed curriculum on the front lawn of the legislature. Protesters held signs calling the revised curriculum irresponsible and complained parents were not properly consulted on the changes.
Under the changes, grade 3 students will learn about same-sex relationships, kids in grades 4 and up will learn about the dangers of online bullying, while students in grade 7 will learn the dangers of sexting.
Protestors included teachers, religious leaders and members of the opposition like PC Monte MacNaughton. “Parents should be the first educators on serious issues like sex education. And lastly it’s not the government’s responsibility to tell parents what’s appropriate for their kids.”
“It is perverting our kids ideas about public relationships. I am a bible-believing man and I believe God made us male and female for a start off, so I don’t want any lesbian teaching my grandchildren how to behave.”
“I am a teacher and I believe as a parent I am the first educator of my child and I am the one teaching them very sensitive and important information like this to my child, not the school.”
Education minister Liz Sandals called today’s rally more of a political campaign by the Conservatives than that of genuine concern from parents. “What the organizing group has sent out says ‘fight the liberal curriculm because they didn’t consult the conservatives’ and what I see on the lawn is bunch of Conservative leadership candidates.”
But Tory Vic Fedeli said “I stand with parents in my riding who have written to me and said ‘how come I wasn’t consulted’ and I continue to forward these letters to the minister of education; I have handed her bundles.”
NDP leader Andrea Horwath explains the protest this way: “If there is frustration out there, (it’s) because people feel that the Liberals haven’t taken the time even post-implementation or post-commitment to implement this fall to hear their concerns.”
Sandals says she has heard from concerned parents about the new curriculum, but says at this point in time there will be no changes. It is set for implementation this fall.
