Amherstburg parents want details of new sex ed program

The parents of four boys at an Amherstburg elementary Catholic school say they want to have more control over what parts of the province's new sex ed curriculum they're childrentake part in.

Tammy and Gregory Moore have four boys at Stella Maris Catholic School in Amherstburg.

They don't believe their children are ready to learn some of the things being proposed in the new curriculum, such as anal or oral sex.

"It's completely above and beyond what they need to know at this time in their life," said Gregory Moore. "Do they need to know it? Eventually, but not now."

Windsor's Catholic School Board is still working out whether its current sex ed program conforms to the province's new curriculum and whether the new curriculum will conform to Catholic values.

The board is seeking some clarity from the province and want to know if it could continue teaching its current program called Fully Alive, said Stephen Fields, the board's communications coordinator.

"[A] team of curriculum writers is going to be working with Catholic school boards right across Ontario to make sure that Fully Alive is keeping with what is in the new health ed curriculum, but still respects the context of a Catholic classroom," he said.

Is opting out an option ?

The Moores would like to opt out of certain parts of the curriculum, but say they are getting mixed messages about whether they could.

"They don't know which part they can opt out on and we want parents to know before September that you might not be able to opt out of everything," said Tammy Moore.

The Moores don't believe the new curriculum is in keeping with Catholic values.

As far as opting out, Fields said it might be possible for teachers to refer certain subject material back to the parents.

"We have a new version of Fully Alive that we'll be rolling out in September," said Fields. "It will be updated before then and we'll be able to tell our parents exactly what's in the curriculum then."

Meanwhile, the Moores said they are considering putting their children in private school or home schooling them if they don't get the answers they want.