Does Ontario's sex-ed program need revamping? Is it outdated in the Internet age? How much education should be done in class, and how much should be left to parents? How do you determine when kids are ready to learn about sex? What is age-appropriate material?
Ontario's new curriculum, first unveiled in January, updates a sex education program that was last changed in 1998.
- Grade 1 students will be taught the correct names of genitalia, such as penis and vagina, as they learn the names of other body parts. Kids will also learn personal hygiene, such as washing their hands with soap and water long enough to say the alphabet.
- Grade 2 students will be taught the basic stages of human development, and how the body changes over time.
- Grade 3 students learn about healthy relationships ("e.g., accepting differences, being inclusive ... showing mutual respect and caring"), as well as the difference between visible and invisible differences (e.g. gender identity and sexual orientation)
- Grade 4 students learn about how the human body changes at puberty
- Grade 5 students will be taught to identify parts of the reproductive system and learn more how the human body changes during puberty (e.g. menstruation) and the emotional stresses of that time
- Grade 6 student learn about the development of self-concept and the changes that come during adolescence, along with what constitutes healthy relationships
- Grades 7 and 8 students will be taught about oral sex, how to delay sexual activity, and to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
With files from The Canadian Press
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