Review of New Ontario Health Curriculum, Grade 7

This is part three of a review on the new Ontario Health curriculum. 

Read Part 1 (An Introduction and coverage of material for Grades 1-3).

Read Part 2 (Coverage of material for Grades 4-6).

In this third part of my review, I'm taking you page-by-page through the sexual education material for Grade 7 in the new Ontario Health curriculum. I'll be posting excerpts of the material which I believe would be of some interest to Christian parents along with some of my own thoughts.

Grade 7:

"The human development and sexual health expectations recognize that students at this age are developing their sense of personal identity, which includes their sexual identity. Students may already be involved in or contemplating sexual activity or dealing with relationship issues that affect their self-concept and sense of well-being. Consequently, there is an emphasis on developing the skills needed for maintaining healthy relationships and acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about their sexual health. Key topics include delaying sexual activity, preventing pregnancy and disease, understanding how gender identity and sexual orientation affect overall identity and self-concept, and making decisions about sexual health and intimacy". (Introduction to Grade 7 material, p. 182)

As we begin our look at the material being taught in Grade 7, we can see that there is a greater emphasis on the development of a student's sexual identity and discussing sex issues in greater detail.

“Sexting – or the practice of sending explicit sexual messages or
photos electronically, predominantly by cell phone – is a practice that has significant risks. What are some of those risks? What can you do to minimize those risks and treat others with respect?” (Grade 7, p. 195)

Students are encouraged to share their thoughts on the risks of sexting. The example of a student response to those questions primarily involves not sharing or distributing sexual messages. Sexting is also mentioned later on in the curriculum when speaking of bullying and harassment (p. 198).

"Explain the importance of having a shared understanding with a partner about the following: delaying sexual activity until they are older (e.g., choosing to abstain from any genital contact; choosing to abstain from having vaginal or anal intercourse; choosing to abstain from having oral-genital contact); the reasons for not engaging in sexual activity; the concept of consent and how consent
is communicated; and, in general, the need to communicate clearly with each other when making decisions about sexual activity in the relationship". (Grade 7, p. 195)

Here is our first reference in the curriculum to anal and oral sex. It is in the context of having a "shared understanding" with someone before sexual activity. What I find most peculiar is that nowhere within the curriculum can I find teaching material that explains what anal or oral sex actually is. I suppose we can presume that if kids don't know by this point (hopefully from a conversation with a parent), they'll ask their teacher. In this excerpt, it doesn't just talk about discussing sexual activity beforehand, but discussing abstinence and reasons for not engaging in sexual activity.

"Teacher prompt: “The term abstinence can mean different things to different people. People can also have different understandings of what is meant by having or not having. Be clear in your own mind about what you are comfortable or uncomfortable with. Being able to talk about this with a partner is an important part of sexual health. Having sex can be an enjoyable experience and can be an important part of a close relationship when you are older. But having sex has risks too, including physical risks like sexually transmitted infections – which are common and which can hurt you – and getting pregnant when you don’t want to. What are some of the emotional considerations to think about?”

Student: “It’s best to wait until you are older to have sex because you need to be emotionally ready, which includes being able to talk with your partner about how you feel, being prepared to talk about and use protection against STIs or pregnancy, and being prepared to handle the emotional ups and downs of a relationship, including the ending of a relationship, which can hurt a lot. Personal values, family values, and religious beliefs can influence how you think about sexuality and sexual activity. A person should not have sex if their partner is not ready or has not given consent, if they are feeling pressured, if they are unsure, or if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” (Grade 7, p. 196)

I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with the content here. The teacher specifically talks about sex as being enjoyable and an "important part of a close relationship WHEN YOU ARE OLDER". The student response (which is just an example of how a student might respond to that question) is far more articulate than a real-life response, but still impressive. "It's best to wait until you are older to have sex". "Personal values, family values, and religious beliefs can influence how you think about sexuality and sexual activity". Again, while this is just a possible student response, it highlights the fact that one's family and religious values are an important part of the process.

“Engaging in sexual activities like oral sex, vaginal intercourse, and anal
intercourse means that you can be infected with an STI. If you do not have sex, you do not need to worry about getting an STI." (Grade 7, p. 196)

Again, no specific descriptions regarding the types of intercourse, but it talks about the potential for becoming infected with an STI and even says, "If you do not not have sex, you do not need to worry about getting an STI." I think I hear Christian parents cheering. For the rest of this discussion on pages 196 and 197 it talks in greater detail about STI's and HIV and how to prevent them. In detailing the risks of becoming infected with HIV, it specifically refers to "vaginal or anal intercourse without a condom" (p. 197).

Teacher prompt: “What are some of the consequences of using homophobic put-downs or racial slurs? How can this hurtful behaviour be prevented?”

Student: “Using homophobic or racist language is discriminatory. It hurts the people who are targeted and it can have harmful consequences for the whole atmosphere in the school. Sometimes, people speak without thinking about what they are actually saying and how they are hurting others. To change this behaviour, everyone needs to take responsibility for the words they use and also to challenge others who make discriminatory comments or put people down, whether in person or online.” (Grade 7, p. 198)

It doesn't define "homophobic put-downs" here, but as I mentioned previously, while I'm not a fan of the terminology, I can get behind teaching students to value and respect people who are different than them.

"Teacher prompt: “Inappropriate sexual behaviour, including things like touching
someone’s body as they walk by in the hall, making sexual comments, or pulling pieces of clothing up or down, is sexual harassment. Texting someone constantly can also be harassment. What can you do to stop this kind of thing?”

Students: “Don’t do it. Don’t encourage others to do it. Don’t accept it if you see it
happening – whether in person or on social media. Tell the person to stop, or report them.” “Online, you can call someone on unacceptable language, but it’s better to have a face-to-face conversation about it afterwards." (Grade 7, p. 198)

This is certainly important to convey to students, although parents should probably be speaking to their kids about inappropriate touching starting at age 3. I like the possible student response that says, "Don't do it. Don't encourage others to do it. Don't accept it if you see it happening....Tell the person to stop, or report them".

Teacher prompt: “Thinking about your sexual health is complicated. It’s important to have a good understanding of yourself before getting involved with someone else. It’s not just about making a decision to have sex or waiting until you are older. It’s also about things such as your physical readiness; safer sex and avoiding consequences such as pregnancy or STIs; your sexual orientation and gender identity; your understanding of your own body, including what gives you pleasure; and the emotional implications of sexual intimacy and being in a relationship. It can include religious beliefs. It includes moral and ethical considerations as well, and also involves the need to respect the rights
of other people. Can you explain what is meant by a moral consideration?”

Student: “A moral consideration is what you believe is right or wrong. It is influenced by your personal, family, and religious values. Every person in our society should treat other people fairly and with respect. It is important to take this into account when we think about our relationships, sexual behaviour, and activities.”

Teacher: “Like any other decision, a decision about sexual health requires you to look at all sides of an issue. How can you do that?”

Student: “You need to consider the pros and cons of any decision you are making, and how those decisions will affect both you and others.”

This concludes the Ontario Health curriculum as it pertains to sexual education for Grade 7. Here, students are specifically asked about "moral considerations"- that everyone has differing "personal, family and religious values" and that "every person in our society should treat other people fairly and with respect".

I will post excerpts and thoughts on the Grade 8 portion of the curriculum soon.