Alberta to pursue legislation this fall on opt-in sex education in schools

EDMONTON — The Alberta government says it’s moving ahead this fall with legislation that would require parents to proactively sign up to have their children opt-in, rather than the usual practice of opting out, for sex education.

It’s a move that has teachers wondering what problem the province is looking to solve.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, in a statement, said school boards, teachers, superintendents and parents are being consulted.

“We intend to propose legislation this fall and will continue to consult with stakeholders throughout the implementation of these policies,” Nicolaides said.

It’s not clear what the legislation might look like, but Premier Danielle Smith said in February it would involve parents opting-in their children to each formal lesson on sexual health.

Outside resources or presentations would also need to be pre-approved by the education ministry, Smith said.

Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, said there are a lot of unanswered questions after a spring consultation about the proposed bill.

He said sex-ed is taught using materials vetted by Alberta Health Services, and parents are already given the chance to opt their children out of the classes.

“I don’t necessarily understand what was broken that needs to be fixed,” Schilling said in an interview.

“When we pressed government … there was no real understanding of what this will look like.”

The public school divisions in Edmonton and Calgary have said they are waiting for more information from the province.

“Requiring parents to opt in does not serve to add any additional parental control,” Edmonton Public Schools board chair Julie Kusiek wrote in a letter to Smith in February.

She said sex-ed is factual and age appropriate, and an opt-in model only adds “administrative red tape” for schools.

Opposition NDP education critic Amanda Chapman said the United Conservative Party government’s “bizarre” proposal creates information barriers and distracts people from issues like underfunded schools and overcrowded classrooms.

She added that the province’s current opt-out model is working.

“We haven’t seen complaints from parents about that,” said Chapman. “I’m not entirely sure what the motivation would have been.”

The fall legislature sitting is set to begin in late October. Chapman said before that, the premier needs to be open about who was consulted and how the legislation will benefit students.

Schilling said the proposed law could have students missing out on valuable information at a time when Alberta is experiencing high rates of sexually transmitted infections.

Preliminary data from the province says cases of gonorrhea ticked up to 1,334 in the first quarter of 2024 from 1,247 in the same period of 2022. Chlamydia also went up to 4,234 cases from 4,030.

Dr. Ameeta Singh, an infectious disease specialist with the University of Alberta, said higher rates could be tied to people across the Prairies using stimulant drugs like meth, as they’re less likely to practice safer sex and connect with multiple or anonymous partners.

A lack of education could also be a reason for higher rates of sexually transmitted infections, said Katie Ayres of SafeLink Alberta, a Calgary non-profit focused on reducing risks tied to sexual activity and substance use.

Ayres said there’s a lot of flip-flopping over which topics get discussed in sex-ed, including sexual health, consent, physiology and sexuality.

The solution, she suggested, may start at home.

“I would encourage folks to think about it as their responsibility more as a parent, instead of assuming that the schools will be covering everything,” said Ayres.

“If it’s just a reiteration of what’s been covered in school, then that’s great. But chances are (parents) will bring up some things that kids have not heard.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2024.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press