How Alberta’s Proposed Sex-Ed Opt-In Compares to Other Regions

Sex education has been a contentious issue in Canada for nearly a decade as school boards increasingly incorporate gender ideology into their curriculums.
If the legislation passes, Alberta will be the first province in the country to have an opt-in sex education and gender identity policy for schools.
While the specifics of how schools teach sexuality and gender identity varies by school board, many of the remaining provinces have policies in place allowing parents to either request lesson exemptions or an alternate method of learning for sex education.
That opt-out format would change if Premier Danielle Smith’s legislation is approved. If made law, it would require parental approval for children to participate in any sex- or gender-related instruction.
All Kindergarten to Grade 12 third-party teaching materials and presentations related to gender identity, sexual orientation, or human sexuality will also need to be pre-approved by the Ministry of Education “to ensure the materials are age-appropriate,” Smith said.
The opt-out provision, which was added in 2019, is applicable to all students through Grade 8.
The opt-out applies solely to instruction related to the Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in Ontario’s curriculum. That means students could potentially be instructed in gender ideology issues as part of other subjects.
“Ensuring representation in the curriculum and classroom is a fundamental human right,” the message said.
Students can only be allowed “some flexibility” in the delivery of gender ideology topics if they relate to reproduction and sexuality, the association says.
While students can’t be exempt from reproduction and sexuality lessons, parents can request an “alternative” means of learning, but that method must be approved by the school.
Implemented in 2023, the policy was put in place in response to parental concern about some of the content used from third-party organizations such as the ARC Foundation and the SOGI 123 Program.
“Parents have the right to opt for alternative delivery (e.g., home, professional counselling) for their child where the content is in conflict with family, religious, and/or cultural values,” the document says.
Rather than signing an opt-out form, Quebec parents must prove either that the curriculum could cause psychological harm to their child or prove that it infringes on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Epoch Times contacted both the education ministry and several school boards but did not receive a response about how the sex education curriculum is currently being handled.
Education Minister Bill Hogan said last year his department was reviewing the province’s sex education curriculum and discussed the possibility of introducing an opt-out option.
“At the elementary level, health education concepts can be integrated with other subjects, such as English language arts, social studies and visual arts.”
A ministry spokesperson confirmed via email there is no opt-out option offered to parents, but did not say if other options are open to parents with concerns.
There are no opt-out forms available to parents, however, parents are encouraged to speak to their child’s teacher about curriculum concerns, the province said.
“The department respects parents as the primary guide and decision-maker in their children’s lives and education, the document says. “If the curriculum does not meet a family’s views, parents have kept their child home on occasion.”
“The department doesn’t offer optional courses, topics, or units (except for programming in high school),” a department spokesperson said in an email. “Parents can choose to remove their children from school or classes in consultation with the teacher and school administration but there is no formal opt-out option.”
Rather, there is a decentralized system of authority set out in the province’s Education Act that empowers education bodies to make policy decisions for schools within their jurisdiction, Department of Education spokeswoman Briony Grabke told The Epoch Times in an email.
“The Department of Education understands the importance of families being informed about curriculum topics and encourages parents to discuss these topics with their child’s teacher or school principal,” spokesperson ​​Michael Edwards said. “Some parents and caregivers may prefer to address certain topics in ways other than regular classroom instruction by a teacher.”
Most states have policies regarding parental consent for sex education, with the majority favouring an opt-out option.
It also addressed parental involvement and advance access to lesson plans.
While it is mandatory for RSHE to be taught in all state-funded schools in the UK, there is an opt-out option for some portions of the curriculum, the government said. Parents can request their child be withdrawn from some or all of  the sex education portion of the teachings, but relationships education is compulsory.