Kids pulled from school over sex-ed curriculum

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Several kids across the Lambton-Kent District School Board have been pulled from school this week by their parents in protest of Ontario’s new sexual education curriculum.

“We have a number of parents who feel that the direction that the Ministry is taking on the curriculum isn’t consistent with their values,” said Jim Costello, director of education. “Most of it is faith based but not in every case. Monday it was around 170 students, (Tuesday) it was around 190 withdrew their children from school as a form of protest.”

The Province of Ontario unveiled their new health and physical education curriculum back in February.

Costello told the Sydenham Current he is concerned about the kids being kept from school.

“We are very respectful of parents rights to withdraw their children from time to time from school just as they would on a family vacation, but my concern here is by doing that are you placing your child behind in terms of their schooling,” he said. “If they miss a week of school, they are now going to have to catch up and be a little bit behind the rest of the class when they return next week.

Costello added: “I’m not endorsing it, I just understand it and I’m respectful of it.”

Costello said there would be no punishment for the students either.

“They are coded as an absent but it’s not a truancy. Parents have the right to remove their children form time to time, so those are approved absences and that’s what they will be coded as. There is absolutely no punishment for them.”

Costello said the curriculum is scheduled to be delivered in September.

“We have talked sex education for years in schools and the curriculum in Ontario has not been updated since 1998. When a curriculum has been approved and has been co-assigned by many, many experts from many organizations and associations across the province, I would encourage parents to get informed and go to the Ministry of Educations website,” he said.

“There is a ‘Myths vs. Fact’ sheet there that is quite strong as well as some other information about the curriculum. I would encourage parents to take a look. I think the #1 solution when we work in education is to educate people and encourage people to get informed before they make up their mind about whether its appropriate or not.”

Costello said if people have questions, they can either direct them to the Ministry or the principals of the schools as well.

Reports say some parents at Christ the King Catholic School in Wallaceburg are keeping their children at home until next week as well.

More information about the curriculum can be view here.

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