HomeMy WebLinkAboutEducation minister silent amid sex-education controversy - Toronto Star - 07/19/2018 - Toronto Star - 07/19/20187/20/2018
Education minister silent amid sex -education controversy I The Star
This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation- ready
copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or
Inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com —
Education minister silent amid sex
zIducation controversy
By ROBERT BENZIE Queen's Park Bureau Chief
Thu., July 19, 2o18
Premier Doug Ford's government appears to be sidelining embattled Education
Minister Lisa Thompson amid confusion over the handling of the sex -education
curriculum.
Maw
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/20l8/O7/l9/education-minister-silent-amid-sex-education-controversy.html 1/6
7/20/2018 Education minister silent amid sex -education controversy I The Star
Education Minister Lisa Thompson, shown Tuesday in the Ontario
Legislature, did not respond Wednesday to opposition queries on why the
Progressive Conservatives are scrapping the updated sex -education
syllabus. (ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE / TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO)
While the education minister was in the Legislature for the daily question period, it
was left to Deputy Premier Christine Elliott to respond to opposition queries on
why the Progressive Conservatives are scrapping the updated sex -education
syllabus.
Earlier in the week the premier himself took the questions on the controversy
triggered by his decision to replace the 2015 curriculum with the 1998 version,
which does not mention same-sex relationships, gender, consent or cyber safety.
Opposition parties expressed concern at the Tories shielding Thompson from the
media.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said "to go into hiding as a minister is completely
inappropriate."
Star Editorial I Let's not turn back the clock on sex education
Ontario students will be taught the 1998 sex -ed curriculum, education minister
says
The naked truth about how the repealed sex ed program compares to the 1998 one
that replaces it
Liberal MPP Michael Coteau (Don Valley East) said it makes a mockery of tlB
Itlanned public hearings on a revised curriculum. I
"If you're the minister of education and you're not even responding to the media,
how do you expect to get out there and consult with the people of Ontario?" asked
Coteau (Don Valley East).
"You're the conduit to people here in this province," he told reporters. "To run
awal from the media just jjlaces her in a verX tough � �_rp
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/20l8/O7/l9/education-minister-silent-amid-sex-education-controversy.html 2/6
7/20/2018 Education minister silent amid sex -education controversy I The Star
difficult for her to get out there and actually consult with the community."
Green Leader Mike Schreiner saidridiculous that they're not even allowing
ministers to talk to the media."
"That's not running a government that's 'for the people' if you won't even talk to
the people," said Schreiner, referring to Ford's campaign slogan that has become
the new government's mantra.
In the House, Horwath said the Tories are "putting kids at risk to appease the
premier's radical social conservative friends," ose same-sex relationships
and abortion.
"The current education minister, in 2015, said this: 'Our education critic was very
this, the NDP leader said of the Tories'previous stance.
Andrea Horwath
@AndreaHorwath
Mr. Ford wants our children to be taught a dangerously outdated
Health & Phys Ed curriculum. Written before same-sex marriage
was legal. Written before social media.
Lessons about consent & cyber -bullying protect our kids from
harm. Let's educate our students for 2018, not 1998.
12:03 PM - Jul 12, 2018
5,587 2,927 people are talking about this
"That was the minister before the premier cut his backroom deal with Tanya
Granic Allen and Charles McVety," she said of the social conservatives
instrumental in Ford's victory in the March PC leadership race.
Elliott, who finished second in that contest, stressed the government is merely
acting upon the wishes of parents for more consultation, not questioning the
content of the 2015 syllabus.
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/20l8/O7/l9/education-minister-silent-amid-sex-education-controversy.html 3/6
7/20/2018 Education minister silent amid sex -education controversy I The Star
"They were concerned about the age that children were being taught about certain
subjects," said the deputy premier.
"We want to conduct a full public consultation with parents to make sure that we
understand what parents are comfortable with having their children learning in
schools and to make sure that we update it to deal with all of the issues that they
need to learn about."
Meanwhile, the Registered Nurses'Association of Ontario is urging Ford t
reinstate the 2015 curriculum. i
Registered Nurses'
Association of OntaHo
UAssociation des
infirrni&es et infirmiers,
dip Pnntwin
iiii CNWHealthcare
@CNWHealthcare
Nurses urge Premier Ford to reinstate the 2015 sexual
education curriculum @R 0 (-fly:Jbz/gUUc #oris dJexed
2:50 PM - Jul 19, 2018
16 18 people are talking about this
U is irresy*llsir AMITTILITY" IC CU1"1'C11_L,,T"TrsY*T1 77111- re,777177; MY, I "" 0I
.7
sexual education curriculum that doesn't address today's realities of the internet,
smartphones and social media," said RNAO president Angela Cooper Brathwaite.
"If children are going to be safe and healthy, they need to learn about consent,
sexual orientation, gender identity, as well as the dangers of cyberbullying, online
predators, and sex ting."
Robert Benzie is the Star's Queen's Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on
Twitter: @robertbenzie
H
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/20l8/O7/l9/education-minister-silent-amid-sex-education-controversy.html 4/6
7/20/2018
Education minister silent amid sex -education controversy I The Star
Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved -
Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior
written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order
copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com
https://www.thestar. co m/news/q u ee n spa rk/2 018/07/1 9/ed u cation -m in i ster-si I ent-a m i d -s ex -e d u catio n- controversy. htm 1 5/6
7/20/2018
Education minister silent amid sex -education controversy I The Star
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/07/19/education-minister-silent-amid-sex-education-controversy.html 6/6