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In what some have called a conservative coup, Ontario premier Doug Ford has decided to scrap the Canadian province's sex-education curriculum, first introduced in 2015, according to the Globe and Mail. In September, when students return to school, they will be introduced to an old curriculum that dates back to 1998.
“The sex-ed component is going to be reverted back to the manner in which it was prior to the changes that were introduced by the Liberal government,” education minister Lisa Thompson said, according to the Globe and Mail. “We’re going to be moving very swiftly in our consultations, and I will be sharing with you our process in the weeks to come.”
This move comes just after Ford’s government canceled work on updating the curriculum with Indigenous content, which was originally promised in 2016 under Kathleen Wynne.
In 2015, when the new curriculum went into effect, many opponents, which the Globe and Mail reports were mostly faith groups and socially conservative family organizations, threatened to pull their kids from school in protest of some progressive topics, including teaching children about consent, same-sex marriage, gender identity, masturbation, and sexting.
According to the Globe and Mail, Andrea Horwath, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, criticized Ford’s decision, stating that the current document is more responsive to the issues students face today.
Horwath said, “Going backwards in terms of keeping our kids safe and giving them the information they need to stay safe is not the right direction for the kids of this province.”
Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, said the move is a “huge disservice” to students, who need to learn about issues like consent, the Canadian Press reported. Hammond's group and others are reaching out to politicians, hoping the changes can be reversed before school begins in September, the Globe and Mail reported.
“It just shows an absolute lack of understanding of student realities in 2018 by the Ford government and the Minister of Education," Hammond told the Globe and Mail. “It’s problematic for students in terms of their ongoing education.”
Related: Planned Parenthood Sues Over Abstinence-Only Sex Ed
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