Quebec unveils details of sex education pilot project

Nineteen Quebec schools will test out the Quebec government's new sex education curriculum, with details of the pilot project announced Wednesday.

• Quebec groups call for more sex ed
• Will more sex ed mean less sex?
• Ontario parents opposed to sex ed changes threaten to pull kids from school

Riverview Elementary, Howard S. Billings High School and the Metis Beach School are the English schools participating the pilot project, while 13 French public schools and three French private schools are also on board. 

Overall, each student will receive 5 to 15 hours of sexuality education per year. The pilot project runs from 2015 to 2017, with the aim of introducing it across the province for 2017-2018.

Here's a breakdown of some of the themes that will be taught at the various levels:

Kindergarten for five-year-olds

• Learn to name body parts, including genital organs
• Be taught to be proud of one's body and to take care of it
• Learn basics about pregnancy and birth, welcoming a new baby into the family and different types of families

Elementary school

• Recognize and express feelings in interpersonal relationships
• Develop capacity to engage in emotional relationships
• Recognize and deal with sexual aggression
• Puberty and becoming comfortable with one's body
• Recognizing and going beyond gender stereotypes

Secondary school

• Dealing with feelings of attraction and conflicts in romantic relationships
• Safe and mutual sexual conduct
• Learning of disease and pregnancy risks

The idea of a mandatory course was met with some resistance in Quebec in August, with some teachers expressing concern about the content of the course and the lack of specialized training for teachers.  

Last year in Ontario a similar mandatory sex education program led the province to quickly modify its contents after thousands of parents withdrew their children from classes. 

More details about the pilot project are available on Quebec's Ministry of Education website.