Third-party educators voice concerns about Saskatchewan sexual health decision

Nearly a week after the provincial government announced the prevention of outside groups giving presentations on sexual health in schools, tensions are still running high for many.

The Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan (SASS) are voicing their concerns on the move, as Saskatchewan has some of the highest domestic violence and sexual assault rates in the country.

“SASS and our member agencies strongly oppose any policy that is anti-trans and compromises sexual health education programming,” said SASS executive director Kerrie Isaac.

“These policies are not designed to help Saskatchewan students. Instead, they undermine fundamental human rights and contribute to an unsafe and discriminatory educational environment. Policies like these are against the principles of equality, respect, and personal autonomy and are often politically-motivated.”

SASS said the decision to ban outside groups puts even more stress on teachers, just days before the start of the school year.

“Our ability to engage with young people through the educational system is being revoked, significantly limiting students’ access to comprehensive sexual health education, which includes vital information and guidance on sexual violence,” said PARTNERS family service executive director Hayley Kennedy.

Members of the Saskatchewan NDP are voicing similar concerns on the decision.

“This is making schools less safe for our queer kids,” said Official Opposition Justice Critic Nicole Sarauer. “And it’s also rolling back decades of important education on things like healthy relationships, consent, and body autonomy.”

Sarauer said not only will the decision limit sexual health presentations, but also presentations on sexual assault.

According to the SASS, Saskatchewan has the second highest rate of sexual violence victimization in the country and double the national average. More half (53.9 per cent) of these sexual assault experiences occurred between the ages of 13-24.

“We already have the highest rates of intimate partner violence and sexual assault in the country, and we need to do everything we can to ensure that those numbers get reduced,” Sarauer said. “One of the commonly known ways of reducing these rates is having preventative education in our schools.”

The Government of Saskatchewan, however, is standing behind their decision. They said there will still be opportunities in the K-12 curriculum where teachers can educate students on preventing domestic violence and sexual abuse.

The government outlines a number of topics students are taught including:

• About safe or unsafe situations, and various forms of violence including inappropriate touching
• To recognize warning signs of unhealthy relationships and develop skills and strategies to help stay safe
• About personal standards and setting boundaries
• The reasons that people may keep abuse a secret and discover that victims of violence and abuse are not at fault
• How to access help and support others, and about healthy dating relationships.

“In addition to this in-school learning, the Government of Saskatchewan is investing $27.5 million in interpersonal violence programs and supports in 2023-24,” the government said in a statement.

“This includes $876,000 in operational funding over three years to support second stage housing, including intervention and counselling services, for women and their children leaving interpersonal violence and abuse.”

The government outlined a number of organizations that received funding all related to sexual assault and abuse prevention or help.

For Sarauer, these numbers aren’t enough. She believes it needs to start in the classroom.

“If the Sask. Party wants to get serious about reducing the prevalence of domestic violence and sexual assault in Saskatchewan, they should scrap their ban on outside groups like sexual assault centres presenting in Saskatchewan schools,” Sarauer said.

2:22 Sask. government introduces parental consent for sexual health education