HomeMy WebLinkAboutPR 661 CUR - Exemption from Instruction related to human Development and Sexual Health Education Grades 1 to 8TITLE:
PROCEDURE PR.661.CUR
Exemption from Instruction related to Human Development and
Sexual Health Education - Grades 1 to 8
Date issued:30 November 2019
Last revised:
Authorization:Senior Staff: 30 November 2019
1.0 OBJECTIVE
To establish a procedure for parents/guardians to request an exemption for their child(ren)
from instruction related to the Human Development and Sexual Health expectations found in
Strand D of The Ontario Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, Grades 1-8, 2019.
2.0 DEFINITIONS
In this procedure,
2.1 Board refers to the Board of Trustees.
2.2 District means the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
2.3 Human Development and Sexual Health expectations refers to those expectations
found in Strand D of The Ontario Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, Grades
1-8, 2019 as specified in Appendix C Healthy Living Learning Summary: Key Topics.
2.4 Period of Instruction refers to the period, including the beginning and end dates,
during which instruction in Human Development and Sexual Health during health and
physical education classes is delivered.
2.5 Unforeseen event refers to an event that impairs a school’s ability to administer the
period of instruction.
3.0 RESPONSIBILITY
3.1 School principals, or designates, will:
a)ensure the timely communication with parents/guardians around the expectations
of and the chance to request exemption from the Grade 1 to 8 Human
Development and Sexual Health expectations in strand D;
b)provide a timely process for accepting and making a determination regarding the
submitted exemptions;
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c)acknowledge the receipt of exemption forms or written requests from parents;
and
d)determine what activities exempted students would undertake, should their
parents/guardians choose to keep them at school.
3.2 Teachers will:
a)allow for students to be exempted, at their parents’ request, from instruction
related to the Grade 1 to 8 Human Development and Sexual Health expectations
in strand D; and
b)provide alternate activities for exempted children whose parents/guardians
choose to keep them at school.
3.3 Parents/Guardians, should they choose to exempt their child(ren) from Human
Development and Sexual Health expectations, will:
a)submit a completed and signed exemption form or a written request within the
timelines set by school; and
b)submit a new completed and signed exemption form every school year, for each
child.
4.0 PROCEDURE
Notice and Communications
4.1 The District has a responsibility to teach the Human Development and Sexual Health
Curriculum, and to ensure that parents are notified prior to the instructional period and
have the opportunity to remove their child from instruction.
4.2 At least twenty school days before the start of the period of instruction,
parents/guardians will be notified of the planned instruction and provided with the
Human Development and Sexual Health expectations.
4.3 Schools will use Appendix A to inform parents/guardians of the instruction and the
process to exempt their children from instruction related to the Human Development
and Sexual Health expectations.
4.4 At least five days prior to the start of the instruction, parents/guardians must complete
and return Appendix B identifying one of the following options for their child:
a)To remain in the classroom during the exemption period without taking part in
instruction in Human Development and Sexual Health, and to be assigned work
or activities by the teacher that are unrelated to Human Development and Sexual
Health;
b)To leave the classroom for the duration of the instruction and remain in the
school under supervision as determined by the principal or principal’s designate.
The student’s activities during the exemption period will be at the discretion of the
teacher or principal; or
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c)To be released into the care of the parent/guardian or the parent’s approved
designate.
4.5 Schools may also accept written requests from parents for an exemption other than
those made using the standard form.
4.6 Schools will acknowledge the receipt of exemption forms or written requests from
parents/guardians.
4.7 To facilitate the notice process to all parents, the District encourages the teaching of the
Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in May each year. A
memorandum will be provided to schools confirming the period for instruction and the
date of notice to the parent community and the process for managing exemptions.
Schools will be required to post the specific dates and timetables for instruction on the
school website.
4.8 Notwithstanding the preferred practice of instruction of this unit in May, teachers may
exercise their professional judgement in determining the timing of instruction. Where
the teacher elects to deliver at a time other than the centrally administered time, the
teacher is responsible for full compliance with the administration of the notice and
exemption requirements as established in this procedure.
4.9 In case of an unforeseen event, schools may move the period of instruction to a later
date in the school year and will give notice of the change to parents/guardians as soon
as reasonably possible.
4.10 As per Policy/Program Memorandum No. 162, exemptions are limited to instruction
related to Human Development and Sexual Health expectations found in strand D of
The Ontario Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, Grades 1-8, 2019. Students
will not be exempted from instruction related to any other expectations in this curriculum
or related expectations in other curriculum subjects.
4.11 References to human development and sexual health made by teachers, Board staff, or
students outside the intentional teaching of content related to the Human Development
and Sexual health expectations are not included in such exemption.
Process
4.12 Schools will make the final decision about whether to accept or reject a request for an
exemption that does not fall within the parameters set out in this procedure (e.g. if the
exemption form is returned to the school during the scheduled period of instruction
rather than by the school’s official submission date).
4.13 Exemptions will be granted only for instruction related to all of the Human Development
and Sexual Health expectations in a student’s grade, and not for instruction related to
selected expectations or groups of expectations.
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4.14 There will be no academic penalty for exempted students when a request for an
exemption has been made from a parent/guardian in writing in accordance with this
procedure.
4.15 There will be no assessment, evaluation, or reporting of exempted students’
achievement of Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in their particular
grade.
4.16 Exempted students’ grade in health and physical education will be determined on the
basis of the overall expectations in strand D of the curriculum, without consideration of
the specific expectations under Human Development and Sexual Health.
4.17 Schools must ensure appropriate supervision strategies are in place based on the
parental exemption requests received.
4.18 Every teacher will have a list of students who are exempted from Strand D and that list
shall identify whether the student is to:
a)remain in the classroom, but not participate;
b)leave the classroom; or
c)be released to the care of the parent/guardian.
5.0 APPENDICES
(Please right-click on the links below to open appendices in new webpages)
Appendix A: Notice of Period of Instruction and Exemption Form
Appendix B: OCDSB 968 Exemption Form
Appendix C: Healthy Living Learning Summary: Key Topics from The Ontario
Curriculum:Health and Physical Education, Grades 1-8, 2019.
6.0 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum No. 162
OCDSB Policy P.031.CUR Learning Resources
OCDSB Policy P.083.CUR Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting of Student Achievement
OCDSB Procedure PR.520.CUR Learning Resources
OCDSB Procedure PR.584.CUR Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting of Student
Achievement
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Appendix B: Exemption from Instruction in Human Development and Sexual
Health Form
Having reviewed the Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in the elementary Ontario
Health and Physical Education curriculum for my child’s grade, I would like my child to be exempted
from instruction related to these expectations, without academic penalty.
During the exemption period, I would like my child to [select one only]:
❏remain in the classroom without taking part in instructional activities related to Human
Development and Sexual Health. I understand that my child’s activities unrelated to Human
Development and Sexual Health during the exemption period will be at the discretion of the
teacher.
❏leave the classroom and remain in the school under staff supervision. I understand that my
child’s activities during the exemption period will be at the discretion of the teacher or principal.
❏be released into my care or the care of my approved designate.
NOTE:If one of the three options above is not selected, the principal or the principal’s designate will
determine where in the school the child is to remain during the exemption period.
I understand and agree with the following statements:
●The Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in strand D of the health and
physical education curriculum are different in every grade, so I must submit a completed
exemption form every school year, for each child, in order for the child to be exempted from
instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in that school year.
●References to or conversations about sexual health–related concepts among teachers, school
staff, or other students outside formal instruction in Human Development and Sexual Health
are not subject to this exemption.
●My child will continue to receive instruction related to all other elementary health and physical
education curriculum expectations.
Child’s Last Name, Child’s First Name
------------------------, ------------------------
Grade, Class
-------------------------------------------------
Parent’s Name (print) and Signature
-------------------------------------------------
Date
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