An expert in sexual minorities studies says he’s disturbed by a proposal from Catholic school superintendents on an alternative sex-ed class.
The province rejected the curriculum, and on Tuesday, Premier Rachel Notley said she’s concerned about how it suggested homosexuality, safe sex, and the importance of consent will clash with faith-based instruction.
Dr. Kristopher Wells of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education says the lessons leave out core scientific facts, and he notes these are not church-run schools.
“I haven’t heard of any cases where a completely separate curriculum has been proposed based on religious beliefs, with any expectation that that would be implemented in publicly-funded schools. That’s the big difference here.”
With STI rates rising among young Albertans, Wells adds it’s all the more important to equip students with facts that will benefit their health.
“We can’t keep burying our head in the sand and pretending that these rates don’t exist or that somehow magically they’re going to go down. What we need to do is equip young people with good, age-appropriate, evidence-based information.”
Catholic superintendents will submit an alternative plan to the province in about three weeks.
