THUNDER BAY - The Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board said it will continue to work with the Catholic education community during the transition to the old sex education curriculum.
The statement follows the Lakehead Public School Board voicing its opposition of the plan by the Ontario government to return to the 1998 sex education curriculum, calling it outdated and harmful to students.
“As the Ministry of Education reviews and potentially revises the curriculum, the Catholic education community of Ontario will work together to produce resources that support our teachers to help maintain healthy, safe, and inclusive environments through this curriculum transition,” the statement reads.
When the new sex education curriculum was introduced by the Liberal government in 2015, director of education for the Thunder Bay Catholic Board, Pino Tassone, said there were concerns from parents regarding the content of the new curriculum but added that it wouldn’t change much of what was already being taught in Thunder Bay Catholic schools.
The Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board receives content through the Fully Alive Program, which was developed by the Catholic Bishops of Ontario.
The program is intended to “pass on a distinctly Catholic view of human life, sexuality, marriage, and family” and to complement teachings by parents and families at home.
Thunder Bay Catholic School Board says it believes students are deserving of “safety, respect, acceptance, dignity, self-knowledge, and healthy relationships,” which are in line with the Education Act and the Humane Rights code.
“Thunder Bay Catholic Schools will continue to work in partnership with the Church, home, Ministry of Education, community and provincial child and youth serving organizations,” the statement goes on to read.
