Third-party educators voice concerns about Saskatchewan sexual health decision | 24CA News
Nearly per week after the provincial authorities introduced the prevention of outdoor teams giving displays on sexual well being in colleges, tensions are nonetheless operating excessive for a lot of.
The Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan (SASS) are voicing their issues on the transfer, as Saskatchewan has a few of the highest home violence and sexual assault charges within the nation.
“SASS and our member agencies strongly oppose any policy that is anti-trans and compromises sexual health education programming,” mentioned SASS government director Kerrie Isaac.
“These policies are not designed to help Saskatchewan students. Instead, they undermine fundamental human rights and contribute to an unsafe and discriminatory educational environment. Policies like these are against the principles of equality, respect, and personal autonomy and are often politically-motivated.”
SASS mentioned the choice to ban exterior teams places much more stress on lecturers, simply days earlier than the beginning of the varsity yr.
“Our ability to engage with young people through the educational system is being revoked, significantly limiting students’ access to comprehensive sexual health education, which includes vital information and guidance on sexual violence,” mentioned PARTNERS household service government director Hayley Kennedy.
Members of the Saskatchewan NDP are voicing related issues on the choice.
“This is making schools less safe for our queer kids,” mentioned Official Opposition Justice Critic Nicole Sarauer. “And it’s also rolling back decades of important education on things like healthy relationships, consent, and body autonomy.”
Sarauer mentioned not solely will the choice restrict sexual well being displays, but additionally displays on sexual assault.
According to the SASS, Saskatchewan has the second highest charge of sexual violence victimization within the nation and double the nationwide common. More half (53.9 per cent) of those sexual assault experiences occurred between the ages of 13-24.
“We already have the highest rates of intimate partner violence and sexual assault in the country, and we need to do everything we can to ensure that those numbers get reduced,” Sarauer mentioned. “One of the commonly known ways of reducing these rates is having preventative education in our schools.”
The Government of Saskatchewan, nonetheless, is standing behind their resolution. They mentioned there’ll nonetheless be alternatives within the Ok-12 curriculum the place lecturers can educate college students on stopping home violence and sexual abuse.
The authorities outlines a variety of subjects college students are taught together with:
- About protected or unsafe conditions, and numerous types of violence together with inappropriate touching
- To acknowledge warning indicators of unhealthy relationships and develop abilities and techniques to assist keep protected
- About private requirements and setting boundaries
- The causes that folks might preserve abuse a secret and uncover that victims of violence and abuse usually are not at fault
- How to entry assist and help others, and about wholesome relationship relationships.
“In addition to this in-school learning, the Government of Saskatchewan is investing $27.5 million in interpersonal violence programs and supports in 2023-24,” the federal government mentioned in a press release.
“This includes $876,000 in operational funding over three years to support second stage housing, including intervention and counselling services, for women and their children leaving interpersonal violence and abuse.”
The authorities outlined a variety of organizations that obtained funding all associated to sexual assault and abuse prevention or assist.
For Sarauer, these numbers aren’t sufficient. She believes it wants to start out within the classroom.
“If the Sask. Party wants to get serious about reducing the prevalence of domestic violence and sexual assault in Saskatchewan, they should scrap their ban on outside groups like sexual assault centres presenting in Saskatchewan schools,” Sarauer mentioned.
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