Quebec: Sex Education Course to Be Abolished: Province's Changes to Curriculum Affect Discussions of Sexuality in Schools

When Quebec's reform of the school curriculum takes full effect in 2005, students will no longer be required to take a class that includes a sex education unit. Johanne Methot, a spokesperson for Quebec's Education Department, said information on sexually transmitted diseases would instead be integrated into regular classes.

"We will have discussions on sexuality in French class," Methot said. She explained that the French teacher could have the class do a project on infection rates.

Educators worry that teachers in such integrated classes might not choose to teach sex education. "If it's not planned, there are some [teachers] who will do it and others who won't," noted Robert Cadotte, a member of the Commission Scolaire de Montreal. "It depends on whether the teacher is comfortable with it or not."

Another concern is that students in regular classes might be reluctant to ask personal questions about sex. Denise Chakar, a drug and sex education consultant at Villa Maria High School in Notre Dame de Grace, teaches her students through the French program by allowing them to freely express themselves without worries about grades or their vocabulary. She allows slang references to male and female body parts.

Chakar noted that teachers need to do more than simply show a film or assign a text on sex and disease. "Showing them a video on reproduction and saying, 'Do you have any questions?' -- you will get very few results," she said.

About 40 percent of 11th grade students reported having had sexual intercourse at least once. Students most often cited school as their main source of sexual health information, but only half of 9th grade students reported receiving five or more hours of instruction over the past two years.

Back to other news for September 10, 2003