Critics who claim parents weren’t consulted during an update of Ontario’s sexual education curriculum are wrong, Premier Kathleen Wynne said Tuesday as she defended her Liberal government‘s modernization of the lesson plan, which newly elected Tory leader Doug Ford has pledged to scrap if he wins the province’s spring election.
Doug Ford, who won the PC leadership has said he’d repeal the 2015 curriculum update and has repeatedly claimed parents weren’t consulted on the measure. Wynne swung back Tuesday, saying such criticisms were false.
Wynne defended, “It’s just not true.Parents were consulted. Psychologists, psychiatrists, police, people who live in communities and are concerned about the safety of young people were consulted.”
She said that about 4,000 parents, as well as child development professions, were given an opportunity to weigh in on the changes to the curriculum.
“The way the curriculum was developed was not by politicians.It was developed by people who are educators and who understand child development and who understand what’s appropriate.”
Supporters say the updated guidelines brought Ontario in line with the rest of Canada, as well as several jurisdictions in the United States. But opponents argue the curriculum, which teaches students about concepts including gender identity, sexual orientation and masturbation, does not align with their values and is not appropriate for school-age children.
Ford has been criticizing the curriculum throughout the Tory leadership campaign, with his rhetoric pleasing social conservatives who’ve demanded changes to the program since it was implemented.
