The inclusion of protection of the province’s human rights law is being proposed by Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett. He wants to enshrine parental rights to withdraw their children from parts of the school sex-ed curriculum that conflicts with their religious beliefs, which he says is long overdue.
However, there has been criticism by some who say such parental rights should not be incorporated, claiming that schools should be places of learning, that children should be exposed to new ideas and be free to make up their own minds.
Perhaps the incorporating of sex-ed in schools could be best summed up in a petition found on the internet dated May 21, 2008. It was from ‘Mom’ and reads in part: “Alberta education is without definitive guidelines on classroom content when it comes to human sexuality programs of study. This leaves the door wide open for schools to discuss oral sex, anal sex, same sex, masturbation, where to purchase contraceptives and all other related subjects at their personal discretion.
“The morals and values that belong to our children are ours to cultivate — not a school’s or a trustee’s or, heaven forbid, the government’s.”
Audrey Jensen
Red Deer