A Catholic sex-education curriculum that questions the importance of “sexual consent” in marriage is causing a row in Canada.
The curriculum, which is being developed for students from kindergarten to Grade 12 in Alberta, Canada, is being rejected by the province’s Premier Rachel Notley.
Describing the curriculum as “dangerous”, Notley says it “will never be taught if it arrives as previously advertised”.
The new curriculum has been reported as being “soft on sexual consent in marriage and denigrates the lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) community”.
Regardless of what the curriculum developers say, Notley says the health and well-being of students comes first.
“Nowhere do the rights of religious freedom extend to that person’s right to somehow attack or hurt others — and that’s what’s happening here,” Notley told the Canadian Press last week.
“We will not use public dollars to have sexual health programmes that deny science, that deny evidence, and that deny human rights.
“They [the developers] can continue to work on the proposal all they want, but we ultimately approve the curriculum that goes into schools — and this kind of curriculum will not happen.”
Catholic school superintendents crafting the curriculum say the government’s teaching plan clashes with faith-based instruction.
They reject the current curriculum because it includes, among other topics, homosexual relationships and gender identity that is different from one’s biological sex.
In documents filed with the province, the superintendents also take issue with sexual consent by a partner in marriage.
They say it is only one of many factors to be considered along with morality, family and wellness.
Notley says consent is paramount and no debate will be entered into.
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