Endorsements

We, The Undersigned, Believe That:

  1. The Ontario Government’s repeal of Ontario’s current health and physical education curriculum threatens the health and safety of children and youth. The impacts of this repeal will include putting children and youth at an increased risk of negative physical, mental, and sexual violence and health outcomes. It will limit access to essential information about healthy relationships, accepting and celebrating diversity, and access to the tools children and youth need to safely navigate the modern world.
  2. The Ontario Government’s decision to halt the revision process of Ontario’s social studies and history curriculums to include additional Indigenous content is appalling. Ontario has a responsibility to participate in the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, many of which focus on the importance of education in promoting healing and understanding.

We Call on The Ontario Government to:

  1. Protect the safety and wellbeing of children and youth by reinstating the updated 2015 health and physical education curriculum immediately.
  • Pledge that any new curriculum will maintain educational components that discuss consent, healthy relationships, choice, sexual health development, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in an accepting manner that reflects the diversity of Ontario.
  • Pledge that any consultative process on changes to the curriculum includes and amplifies the voices of equity seeking groups most impacted by this policy change and consults with subject matter experts in the field.

2. Immediately reinstate the curriculum development process for including additional Indigenous content as an essential responsibility of settlers on traditional Indigenous territories.

  • Reschedule the hastily cancelled Indigenous curriculum writing sessions.
  • Reaffirm the Ontario Government’s commitment to reconciliation as laid out in The Journey Together: Ontario’s Commitment to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

Sincerely,