There’s been a flurry of controversy in print, radio and social media about the newly revised Ontario Sex Education Curriculum, due to start in Ontario’s elementary schools this fall.
It’s complicated. Talking about the birds and the bees is probably one of the toughest topics for parents to tackle with their children. When we were kids we didn’t have the World Wide Web, cell phones and Facebook. Sexting (sending explicit sexual images or messages electronically), date rape drugs, reality TV and online social networks were non-existent. There is no question that the primary ‘teacher’ of sexual and social values should be parents—but what is their level of competence and comfort?