Manitoba’s recent revamp of the health and physical education curriculum will introduce modifications to the way sexual education is encompassed in the educational system. A representative for Education Minister Tracy Schmidt verified to CBC News that sexual education is part of the health curriculum overhaul, which mandates in-person physical education classes for all students from kindergarten to Grade 12. The updated curriculum is scheduled to be launched as a voluntary two-year pilot program starting in September. The current curriculum, which has remained unchanged for 25 years, will receive a much-needed update, as highlighted by the province.
Tracy Schmidt mentioned that over twenty schools in Manitoba have volunteered to partake in the pilot program. During this phase, educators and parents will have the opportunity to provide feedback. The full implementation of the new health curriculum is slated for the 2028-29 school year. A statement from Schmidt’s spokesperson emphasized that the “revised” curriculum is designed to address the contemporary challenges faced by young individuals.
While the specifics of the health curriculum have not been made public yet, it remains unclear what alterations the pilot program will bring to sexual education in Manitoba. The new curriculum is expected to be accessible online at the beginning of the school year. Kaitlyn White, a program coordinator at the Sexuality Education Resource Centre’s Brandon office, expressed the organization’s desire for more transparent and inclusive conversations surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity within the updated curriculum.
White stressed the importance of comprehensive sexuality education in fostering a safer and healthier environment in schools and communities. Criticizing the current sex education programming in Manitoba for its bias towards heterosexual and cisgender individuals, White highlighted the need for a more diverse and representative approach to sexuality education. Two human rights complaints filed in 2017 alleged that the Manitoba school curriculum discriminates against 2SLGBTQ+ families by failing to provide adequate educational resources that reflect the diversity of families in the province.
The Manitoba Human Rights Commission’s investigation confirmed the discriminatory nature of the curriculum, although the initial complaint was dismissed. Following a court order in 2021, the commission was instructed to review the complaint again. Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan expressed support for updating the curriculum to address contemporary issues facing students, albeit voicing concerns over the limited information disclosed by the NDP government shortly before the school year commences.
White remains optimistic that the two-year pilot initiative will pave the way for a more comprehensive health education curriculum in Manitoba, aiming to prevent a prolonged period without updated materials.
