Opting out of sex ed in schools?

Is sex education in our public schools in 2024 an issue? Seems so in a lot of American states . . . and now in Alberta. I really thought concerns were addressed and resolved decades ago. Guess not. One step forward, two steps back. The Alberta government says it's moving ahead this autumn with legislation that would require parents to proactively sign up to have their children opt-in to each formal lesson on sexual health, rather than the usual practice of opting out.Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, said there are a lot of unanswered questions about the proposed bill, adding “I don't necessarily understand what was broken that needs to be fixed,” in a CBC News article. Sex ed in Alberta is taught using materials vetted by Alberta Health Services and is factual and age appropriate. Parents are already given the chance to opt their children out of the classes. So at a time of increasing STI cases (both chlamydia and gonorrhea) to give one example, we might put in a potential barrier in the way of expanding medical knowledge to a cohort at risk. The proposed law could have students missing out on valuable information. How forward thinking is that? There is already too much incorrect and incomplete information and mature content on the internet which is far too easy to access. Social media runs rampant with influencers peddling all sorts of quasi-science and questionable medical ideas. Is this the primary education we want for our kids? Canadian schools introduced sexual education as early as the mid '60s in some jurisdictions. It is an incremental and progressive education starting with basic human anatomy and biology and expanding scope as grades progress. Like most every other topic that is taught in school, a foundation is laid which is built upon incrementally as students mature. Sex ed had a tumultuous time getting established initially with religious groups trying to stop its incorporation. Their arguments at that time are much the same as today. The newer twist, that the exploration of sexual and gender diversity have been added to their list of banned topics. Religious groups opposed to sex ed in schools would state this is a discussion meant for inside the family unit alone. Sex is a sacred and intimate act and education about this has no place in a public school system. Sex should only occur between a married man and woman and abstinence is the only topic worthy of discussion in school age children. Education on STIs, birth control, sexual and gender diversity is only polluting innocent minds and a cause of problems, certainly not solutions. Talking about sex in school promotes underage kids having sex. This argument has been amplified by ultra-right wing conservatives and Christian fundamentalist groups who have become increasingly influential in U.S. politics. On the opposite side of this discussion are similarly vocal groups, Planned Parenthood, for example, who state that every individual has the right to quality material regarding ALL sex education. Knowledge is power. Anything less is failing our children and encouraging unsafe sexual practices, unwanted pregnancies, STIs and more. Not properly educating is reinforcing misinformation at best, spreading disinformation at worst. A lack of information only perpetuates the status quo which is not particularly impressive at the best of times in our society. It is 2024, why is this even being discussed? So who is right?I do consultant work in sexual medicine for Southern Alberta. I can state without hesitation that the medical knowledge base of my patients regarding sex is NOT great. This is true across genders, ages, ethnicities and religions. There seems to be a lot of myths and fallacies about a lot of things. I would suspect, I see a reasonable representation of our population. If there was no sex education allowed in schools, and the education was solely expected to come from these patients, parents of school aged children, the education would be rudimentary if not full of inaccuracies. I took university level chemistry, bio-chem, and organic chem but would not be able to teach it with any proficiency now. Parents know a lot and hopefully know their kids. I would like to say the same of teachers. If the foundation of sexual education is laid at school, this can certainly be openly discussed at home. No parent should ever feel they need to know more than a well-designed and vetted curriculum. If they have strong beliefs about sex, they can and absolutely should openly discuss these with their children. Parents should be able to give solid rationale behind their opinions and not feel threatened by an open dialogue with their offspring. This argument holds true for discussions about everything that occurs at school involving education, teachers and students. When has an open and honest discussion of priorities, beliefs and relationships been anything but a healthy and appropriate way to raise children to become well informed and responsible members of society? If talking about sex is a destructive force to our youth, banning social media, a lot of television series and movies would be much more important to target than the school system. If parents want their child opted out of health or sex ed classes, they have every right to do so. If this is done, they must provide an education based on medical fact within their belief system. But for all the rest, this should be part of well-balanced public education. There should never have to be a repeated opt-in to ensure a child gets all of their classes. Crowded classrooms, underfunded schools and teacher burnout are real problems that need solutions. Why is the government of Alberta not focusing on these pressing issues?Dr. Ted Jablonski is a performing artist and writer who has retired his family practice to focus on sexual medicine and transgender health in Southern Alberta with two feet still on the front-line trenches of acute primary care.

Opting out of sex ed in schools?

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