Ottawa, Canada, Apr 23, 2010 / 20:58 pm
In a dramatic turn of events Thursday, a Canadian premier abruptly axed a controversial proposed sex-ed curriculum due to the overwhelmingly negative response it received within his province.
Premier Dalton McGuinty of Ontario previously backed a sex education curriculum which came under fire for its subject matter. The curriculum scheduled lessons on body parts in Grade 1, discussed homosexuality in Grade 3, and explicitly mentioned “vaginal and anal intercourse” in Grade 7. The curriculum also taught that homosexuality and transgenderism are normal and that masturbation is “one way of learning about your body.”
According to the Ottawa Citizen, Premier McGuinty said the government failed to properly consult and communicate with parents about the revamped curriculum.
“I think for most parents, it came out of nowhere,” he said Thursday. “We spent a good 24, 48 hours listening to parents and caucus – and parents through our caucus – and it's become pretty obvious we should give this a serious rethink.”