This year Quebec’s sex education courses have become mandatory for students across the province in both public and private schools. The curriculum, of which the Ministry of Education began working on several years ago, was designed to be age appropriate and also taught within other subjects – and apparently approved by several experts, with 86% of parents surveyed being satisfied with the content. But a Catholic Priest and a Cardiologist want parents to consider taking their children, especially the younger ones, out of the classes – urging them to evaluate the program and to use their Sex-Ed manual instead.
Father Robert Gendreau and Dr. Raouf Ayas feel the Ministry of Education approved courses are inappropriate and went ahead and wrote their own sexual education handbook for parents. They have stated that ‘there are certain topics in the program that go against Christian values’ and that the province’s program’never discusses the soul, conjugal relations, marriage, abstinence, chastity or fidelity’. The manual is called ‘Reflexions pour susciter le dialogue parents/enfants sur le programme education a la sexualite du Ministere de l’education du Quebec de la maternelle a la 3e annee du primaire – available on Amazon.ca for $9.64. According to a statement from the Archdiocese of Montreal, they are not involved in the initiative or the publication of the manual.
Quebec education minister Jean-François Roberge stated in a tweet on January 10th that sexual education is an ‘essential education topic’ and ‘parents shouldn’t expect to easily pull their children out of the classes’. He added that there are exemptions offered, but only for specific reasons – such as students who have experienced significant trauma. The information students will receive in the curriculum will be based on their age and deal with sexuality, anatomy, body image, sexual assault, love, sexual relations, stereotypes, gender equality and sexually transmitted diseases.
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