SOGI in schools
SOGI in schools
Question: What is the purpose of teaching SOGI, as you see it?
00:00:05
I think it's really important for classrooms to be safe spaces for all students. I think that school culture is a huge part of living in Canada today. Most of us go through the Canadian school system and it is filled with certain values that we share as a society. Values like multiculturalism, diversity, and inclusion and SOGI is another way of creating a compassionate space for all students.
Question: What are some of the fears about SOGI focused education that you have heard?
00:00:43
I think that some parents are afraid that perhaps the material is too much too soon for their children. And I think this is a reasonable fear. We don't want to put students in unsafe spaces. What we want and what the SOGI curriculum is about, is creating safe spaces. And we want to keep that foremost in our thoughts and in our actions. I think that the schools do a good job of trying to bring in variations of viewpoints on this issue, and they do tread carefully and they do keep parents informed before some of these serious conversations happen. I think teachers are doing a good job of trying to create safe spaces for students of all ages so they can interact with some very serious and important aspects of human life.
Question: What do parents need to know about how SOGI is addressed in schools?
00:01:43
Parents need to know that teachers are very aware of parents as part of the educational experience for students. Teachers are informing parents before any conversations are happening in their classrooms. Teachers are always available for questions from parents. They can stay after class and explain exactly what's being discussed with their students. I know that teachers are sending information home so that parents are not surprised by the conversations and what exactly is in these conversations around any explicit material. The point of SOGI is to create safe spaces. To create a place where good questions can be asked and answered. When health can be addressed and explained, and this is good for students and that's good for all of us to know that schools are taking this very seriously and care about students’ well-being.
Question: As a member of the Christian community, what is important to understand about SOGI in schools?
00:02:44
As a woman of the Christian faith, I see love as central to the Christian life and loving others is absolutely central. The SOGI curriculum is a way that this can be expressed. Our love for others and to create a life of compassion and care. This is absolutely important and why I see that the Christian response to SOGI can be a very generous one indeed.
Question: Is there anything else you would like to share?
00:03:14
I'm a grandparent and my two granddaughters live with me, and so some of these questions have emerged at our dining room table and I've just been really impressed with how the schools are dealing with it and how careful they're being with vocabulary and how the importance of sexuality in understanding the human experience, and that is just becoming a natural part of how students are experiencing their lives as children. I think that's a really positive thing. And I really applaud the schools and the teachers for being so careful with this topic. And as a grandparent, I feel really positive about that things regarding sexual education are done so much better than they were done 25 years ago.