CALGARY – The concept of sexual consent could soon be part of human sexuality classes taught at Alberta public schools.
The Edmonton Public School Board passed a motion on Tuesday to send a letter to Alberta’s education minister recommending consent be part of the curriculum.
“Requests for consent to be taught in sexual health education are in the news on a regular basis,” reads the recommendation report from trustee Orville Chubb on the EPSB website. “Beyond current affairs, the concept of sexual consent, specifically identifying personal boundaries and the ability to articulate them is foundational to healthy human interaction at school, work and home.”
READ MORE: He said/she said – How is consent determined in sexual assault cases?
The report notes current school classes cover the biology of reproduction, commitment and intimacy, as well as sexual assault, with what Chubb calls an emphasis on the individual, and “not on the aspects of human interaction.”
“In the context of our multicultural society with unfettered access to pop culture, it is clear that public education needs to present a minimum standard” on the topic of consent, he argued in the report.
Alberta Liberal Education Critic Kent Hehr agrees with Chubb’s motion, and said the government should “stop being such prudes” in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
“It is unacceptable that such an important lesson isn’t included in the curriculum,” said Hehr in the release. “There is no question students should be learning that consent is required before engaging in sexual activity.”
About a month ago, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne made headlines when she suggested Ontario students should start learning how to read facial expressions and emotions as early as Grade 1 to give help them understand consent in sexual relations.
READ MORE: Ontario students to start learning about sexual consent as early as Grade 1
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