Doug Ford ripped up the Health and Physical Education curriculum, threatened teachers with a sex-ed snitch-line and spent $1 million on an online survey, only to release a new curriculum Wednesday that is largely unchanged from the 2015 sex-ed curriculum.<\/p>\n
The new curriculum is a victory for student safety, and for the families, teachers, education workers and experts who led the fight alongside Andrea Horwath and the NDP \u2014 but it also means Ford wasted a year just so he could posture for social conservatives, said NDP Education critic Marit Stiles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe health and well-being of our children should be a top priority,\u201d said Stiles. \u201cInstead of prioritizing kids\u2019 safety over the last year, Ford spent a year showing off for social conservatives at the expense of kids. He forced children to go to the human rights tribunal to fight for their rights. He threatened teachers with a snitch line for answering students\u2019 questions honestly. He tried to make students \u2014 especially LGBTQ+ students and families \u2014 feel less important than his politics.\u00a0He played politics with children\u2019s safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
Legal challenges and broad-based opposition from parents, educators and one of the largest student demonstrations in provincial history helped force the Ford government to back down on its plan to repeal elements of the curriculum including gender identity and consent.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt should never have come to this,\u201d said Stiles. \u201cChildren and their well-being should never have been made a political football by Doug Ford. His irresponsible vow during the PC Party leadership contest was designed to get social conservative votes, and children should never have been forced to pay the price for that political posturing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stiles said the NDP will continue to review the new curriculum in detail in the coming days, but is relieved that concepts it fought to maintain \u2014 gender identity and sexual orientation, consent, and cyber bullying, for example \u2014 will remain. Now, said Stiles, fighting Ford cuts to mental health supports and school staff including guidance counselors will be front and centre for the NDP.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudents who learned about their mental health and wellbeing through this curriculum have fewer places to turn for help because of Doug Ford\u2019s cuts, and that\u2019s wrong and has to be addressed,\u201d said Stiles.<\/p>\n
SOURCE – NDP Education critic Marit Stiles<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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