Ontario Education Minister, Huron Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson is sticking to her guns saying parents need more opportunity to have a say in what their children are learning in the classroom.
Thompson, in an exclusive interview with Bayshore Broadcasting News, continues to point to the mandate the Doug Ford Progressive Conservatives have been given by Ontario voters and that is to put the reins on the 2015 sex ed curriculum that was introduced by the Liberals.
She says over the past 15-years under the Liberals, it was a small group of Queen's Park people who felt they knew best what children should be learning in school, particularly when it comes to human sexuality education.
Thompson says the Conservatives want to respect the parents of the children and what their concerns might be about sex education in the classroom.
She says over the summer she's spoken to many teachers who are comfortable with the curriculum of 2014 because of the flexibility it offered.
Thompson understands that but the party's mandate was that the parents would have a say and until that happens, they have put a “pause” on what can be taught in the elementary grades.
She says consultations, via phone town hall meetings and an online survey, will begin shortly and they hope to be reviewing results this winter with the goal of moving forward with the results next year.
Thompson had little to say about the recent move by the Bluewater District School Board trustees who approved a motion that said they will support their elementary teachers if some of the sexuality issues are taught through other courses.
That same motion came out against the so-called “Snitch Line” where parents can anonymously complain about teachers they feel are contravening the edict handed down by the provincial government.
Thompson doesn't see it as a “snitch line” but rather an opportunity for parents to share what's on their mind when it comes to their child's education.
She says, “We heard loud and clear during the campaign, parents did not have a chance to be heard.”
Mature students feel they're on the front lines but are being ignored when it comes to discussing future education curriculum but again, Education Minister Thompson doesn't agree.
She hopes students across Ontario will speak up during the consultation period because she views this is as being, “all about them.”
