Ontario sex ed curriculum called "bad for Catholic kids, bad for all kids"

In a move which has nothing (or everything) to do with the conviction and sentencing of Dr. Benjamin Levin (see "Pedophile 'educator' gets what's coming to him, but his influence lingers"), the Halton (Ontario) District Catholic School Board will debate, on June 2nd, a motion by Trustee Anthony Dankos introduced a motion to delay the introduction in Halton schools of the Ontario's controversial new sex education curriculum.

Mr. Danko says he filed his motion because it would be detrimental for children to be taught that sex is acceptable for children of young ages, before they are ready for committed love, marriage and children of their own. "The text never mentions love at all," he says, "thereby separating sexual activity from any notion of love, commitment and marriage."

Trustee Anthony Quinn told Inside Halton that as a parent of four children, he doesn't want this curriculum taught to his own children, which he says contradicts Catholic teachings about sex and marriage in a number of areas.

"I will...be supporting this resolution as a parent of four children attending elementary school in the HCDSB in response to the lack of meaningful or transparent consultation between the Ministry of Education and parents as to the nature of the material and age of children to which the material contained in the revised curriculum is scheduled to be taught."

Catholic school board trustees have the responsibility to prevent anything that negatively affects Catholic faith being included in curriculum. Mr. Danko agreed with Mr. Quinn that the program challenges specific Catholic teachings in a number of areas, such as by teaching Grade 6 children that masturbation is "not harmful".

The HCDSB trustees are asking for a delay even though the Ontario Ministry of Education has promised Catholic boards "a Catholic-specific teaching resource". Mr. Quinn says the resource won't be complete by September. For that reason they want to delay bringing the program into schools so that the public has sufficient time to see the resource and schools aren't forced to implement it under chaotic conditions.

The Halton Catholic motion addresses the concerns of parents in one Catholic board, but Mr. Danko sees wider implications, for the province-wide, multi-board movement against the curriculum. By allowing Catholics to have their own program, says Danko, the Ontario government has acknowledged that their new plan conflicts with the views of people who disagree with a hedonistic approach to sex.

"The separation of sex from any notion of love, commitment and marriage is considered bad formation by all faiths and cultural backgrounds, including those of no particular faith," he said. "Why don't we join with the thousands of Ontarians of all faiths in ensuring that no child is formed by this poorly conceived program? I believe that if it's bad for Catholic children then it's bad for all children. Why would we only think of protecting Catholic children from this harmful idea, namely that sexual activity is fine for its own sake, unrelated to love?"