Petition: Sex education won’t happen by magic!

In a context where hundreds of thousands of young people have no access to sex education and are left to fend for themselves for information, the government’s announcement of the return of sex education in all Québec schools is undeniably good news. Implementing the “sex education learnings” is an opportunity to equip young people in their development — both to prevent situations of assault and risky behaviour and to support them in building their self-esteem and emancipation. It is a chance to roll out positive, inclusive and empowering sex education that takes into account the diversity of realities and identities as well as the inequalities that persist between the sexes. However, while on paper everything looks good, the implementation conditions are alarming: no resources, no training, no collaboration. Without adequate resources or training. While schools should, right now, be finishing their planning for the 2018-19 school year, the government still has not announced the amounts allocated to implement the “sex education learnings”. The ministry promises training whose content has yet to be revealed and explicitly plans to place the entire burden on the teachers and professionals already invested within the schools, rather than allocating budgets to call on specialized external resources. In this uncertain context, teachers are voicing their reluctance and fears — notably of being confronted with questions and situations where they simply will not have the tools to respond and properly support students. Without consultation or collaboration. Since the pilot projects began in 2015, the government has chosen to go it alone, consulting neither young people and students, nor community organizations with expertise in sex education (feminist groups, LGBT+ groups, people with disabilities…), nor the relevant professional associations (sexologists, nurses, psycho-educators…). On March 8, in their letter to the Premier, it was the teachers’ unions themselves who voiced their concern and denounced the “masquerade”. Moreover, the “ministerial advisory committee on sex education” has not met in more than a year. Sex education won’t happen by magic! Since 2001 — the year sex education disappeared from school curricula — community organizations have not let up. On the contrary, many sex education workshops — often at schools’ request — have been developed and delivered to young people by thousands of volunteers and community workers. This behind-the-scenes work, for lack of public funding, remains limited in its ability to meet the needs of all students. Sex education in all of Québec’s schools won’t happen by magic either, which is why we (young people, students, activists, volunteers, teachers, professionals, citizens from all walks of life) demand: 1/ Dedicated financial resources to implement the “sex education learnings” through:

• specific budgets allocated to schools;
• funding for community organizations working in the field;
• and initial and ongoing training for all teachers and workers, delivered by sex education professionals and community experts.

2/ Collaboration with everyone involved in sex education for the implementation, development, evaluation and continuous improvement of the “sex education learnings” curriculum, through a committee representative of all stakeholders (young people, students, community organizations, teachers, professionals…).