Starting this fall, Alberta parents and caregivers must provide explicit consent for their children to receive school-based sexual health education, notes the YWCAs of Alberta.
To ensure families understand the change and its importance, YWCAs in Edmonton, Calgary, Banff, and Lethbridge have come together to launch “Opting In: Informed Choices for Healthy Futures”.
The campaign urges parents to “opt-in” to the new sexual health education legislation, as the YWCA emphasizes its role in safety, respect, and violence protection.
According to the YWCA, the campaign also highlights how comprehensive sexual health education helps youth build healthy relationships, understand consent, develop empathy, and prevent gender-based violence.
The YWCA notes that research shows students who receive this education are more likely to delay sexual activity, make informed decisions and foster respect for themselves and others.
“Sexual health education gives young people the confidence to set boundaries, respect others and recognize unhealthy situations. When parents choose to opt-in, they’re not only supporting their own child’s wellbeing, they’re helping to build a safer, more respectful community for everyone,” says YWCA Lethbridge and District CEO Jill Young.
Young adds this is the first year Alberta Education is taking this approach about sexual education in schools, and the idea is for parents to move from opting out to opting in. “We want to provide that education and helping parents understand what is changing about some of those rules and why it’s important as parents to understand what their options are.”
“Students, when they’re learning about this, the content is age appropriate. For younger grades, it focuses on things like respect, friendship and understanding boundaries. Older grades discuss topics like consent, puberty, relationships and health. It connects directly into the work we do as YWCA, which is gender-based violence prevention,” Young adds.
There is very clear research, Young explains, that teaching consent, boundaries and respect reduces the risk of harassment, assault and gender-based violence. “It also works as an amazing prevention tool, as they move into their older ages and understand those healthy relationships.”
Young adds that it’s very important for parents to be informed about the changes coming this year in classrooms throughout the province. “We’re not here to debate the legislation. Our focus and the reason for this education tool is to focus on helping those parents and caregivers understand what has changed, and why these lessons matter.”
