Lethbridge school district supports the early introduction of consent into curricula

After proclaiming May sexual violence awareness month across the province, promises to incorporate consent into school curricula from kindergarten to Grade 12 could mean some future changes for school divisions in Lethbridge.

However, with a current system already in place for specific schools in the area, one school division has already made a head start on the movement.

“I think the idea of personal space and respect, well that’s covered in our health curriculums right now,” said Chris Smeaton, the superintendent of Catholic Holy Spirit School Division.

“Teachers would be doing that right away as we get into junior and senior high, in terms of consent for sexual activity, we’d always teach that.”

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Premier Rachel Notley announced Tuesday the government’s plans to implement classes on consent from kindergarten to Grade 12, with a goal of creating a more consistent approach to tackling what United Nations is calling a “global pandemic of violence against women.”

“The need for consent is part of our curriculum review in our education system and will be much more rigorously discussed at all grade levels in our school system,” Notley said.

Already working to stress the importance of consent and sexual assault awareness, the Catholic Holy Spirit School Division said this proposed change in curriculum is needed for students everywhere and the Lethbridge school district agrees.

“It is timely for our government to raise awareness and address funding and resources to school districts that surround this societal issue,” associate superintendent Morag Asquith said.

The new changes have come as a result of a curriculum review and hope to tackle the idea of sexual consent from a young age.

After the government announced that sexual assault is one of the only crimes in Canada not declining, the conversation of introducing these values at a young age were brought to life and hope to be approved by the end of the year.