Earlier Training on sex education, with parents getting more involved under revised provincial curriculum

Ontario's revised sex education curriculum comes into effect in September, with teachings beginning as early as Grade 1.

Some of the things students in Grades 1 through 3 will learn include the proper names of body parts, an initial understanding of how their bodies work, stages of development, and the basic building blocks of consent.

Students in Grades 4 to 6 will learn about the physical changes that occur during puberty, the emotional stresses that come with puberty, understanding reproduction and body processes, and learning about healthy relationships.

With the Ministry of Education making the announcement early Monday morning, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board superintendent Peter Mangold said the board is still in the midst of reviewing the changes.

"We have to dig into it a little and find the impact," said Mangold.

Though the revised curriculum has been a hot button issue across the province, Mangold said the public board isn't "overly concerned."

Barbard McMorrow, education director of the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, said that while she previously heard concerns, she thinks once people are made aware of the changes, they'll feel differently.

"I certainly think that as people start to see the curriculum they're going to feel quite a bit reassured," McMorrow said.

With Ontario's last update to the health and physical education school curriculum taking place in 1998, McMorrow said the revision is needed.

She also said she is a fan of the parent's involvement with the revised program.

"Another thing that's interesting about this curriculum is they are going to have component for parents, which I think is a great thing and it would be great if they did that will all our curriculum," she said.

However, not everyone is on board with the government's decision.

The Campaign Life Coalition is joining a throng of parents from across Ontario at Queen's Park on Tuesday to protest the revised sex-ed curriculum.

The rally takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The coalition is a national, non-profit organization involved in political action and advocacy for legal and cultural change, with respect to protecting human life and the family.

"Our concern is that parental rights are being usurped by the province, saying when they will teach children sexual education, whether they're ready or not," said coalition president Mary Ellen Douglas.

As a mother and a grandmother, Douglas said she could relate to parent's worries about the graphic nature of sexual education at such an early age.

"All children are different and they mature at different ages and they ask questions in different ways and I don't feel (the government) should be coming in and exposing them to things they're not even interested in," Douglas said.

More than 2,000 parents are expected to attend the protest, along with coalition members and two Progressive Conservative leadership candidates.