Sask. government’s decision to limit sexual health education leaves students unprepared: educators – CBC
Province decided in August to ban 3rd-party educators from classrooms
Dec 20, 2023
Professionals who are trained to teach young people about appropriate relationships and sexual health say the Saskatchewan government is setting youth up for failure by banning organizations from partnering with local schools and teachers in the classroom.
In August, the government issued a “temporary directive” that banned third-party educators from presenting on sexual health education. Four months later, the ban remains and there’s no indication it will be lifted.
“The temporary directive is still in effect and continues to be reviewed,” said Mitchell Blair, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, in a statement to CBC.
Educators fear the government’s decision will result in higher provincial rates of sexual violence, unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections or disease.
“There’s so much research and evidence that shows that consent-based education is imperative to lowering rates of sexualized violence,” said Morgan Price, the education and outreach co-ordinator at the Saskatoon Sexual Assault and Information Centre (SSAIC), which is now banned from working in schools.
