REGINA - The government of Saskatchewan says it is continuing its pause on outside organizations from presenting on sexual health education in the province, even though the topic is not addressed directly in the Parents Bill of Rights Act tabled this week.
First reading of Bill 137 - Parents Bill of Rights Act took place Thursday, with the legislation requiring parental consent for gender-based name changes for children under 16. The Act also had provisions requiring two weeks notice to parents of sexual health content, as well as to allow the parent or guardian to withdraw the pupil from the presentation of sexual health content.
But the Act did not mention the pause on outside organizations in presenting sexual health content in classes, something that had been part of the parental consent policy announced in August.
The indication from the government is that the role of outside organizations presenting in schools will be discussed further with school divisions, and addressed and clarified in the regulations that will come out.
The pause on outside organizations returned to the forefront this week after Battlefords Area Sexual Assault Centre renewed their concerns that sexual assault centres in the province are not being allowed to present education programs in classrooms aimed at preventing sexual violence.
“We are calling on the Provincial Government and the Minister of Education to allow sexual assault centres in the province to resume their prevention education programs in school divisions across the province," said Amber Stewart, executive director of BASAC, to the Battlefords Regional News-Optimist this week.
BASAC is situated in the same riding as Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill, who had run against and defeated Stewart in the 2020 provincial election in The Battlefords.
At the legislature Thursday, Cockrill was asked about those concerns raised, and of the status of the pause on outside organizations.
“Certainly with our directive in the summer, and the policy that we announced with a pause on third-party involvement in terms of presenting sexual health material… that pause exists today, and we will deal with that process for third-party organizations through regulations on this Act. Again, that will also be a discussion that we have with school divisions around the province in terms of implementation.”
Cockrill said he had talked to Stewart about the issue.
“I have spoken with Ms. Stewart at Battlefords Area Sexual Assault Centre last week in regards to her concerns about the policy, and I’m committed to continue conversation with her on those,” said Cockrill.
“I would say that organizations like BASAC are still able to provide counselling services at this point. As I said, there is still a pause on presentations within schools, but we will work with school divisions, and then in our regulations to clarify that process for third-parties.”
When asked if the pause on presentations could be lifted in the near future, Cockrill said “I think if we are going to lift the pause... I would like to have some more conversation with school divisions, because again there are some specific local situations and local considerations on that. So we will have further consideration on it as we get further down the road with divisions.”
When asked about the pause and of the concerns raised, Opposition Education critic Matt Love said what he is hearing is that organizations that deal with sexual assaults are being prevented from entering the schools under the policy.
“I have received emails and concerns about this. We have organizations in the province who are there to support students who have been victims of sexual assault and that they’ve been banned from entering schools to provide that support,” said Love.
“It’s incredibly troubling in a province that has such high incidence of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, that even those organizations that offer support to the victims are being caught up in the Sask Party’s misled priorities.”
What it points to, Love said, is the “absolutely out of touch priorities of Scott Moe’s government. They are knowingly causing harm to vulnerable kids… It’s kids who have been victims of violence who can’t get the support from groups who traditionally have been brought into schools to offer that support.”
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