Canada as a whole, and in particular our Canadian education systems have failed our students. Students have not been provided  with a curriculum that includes consent. This petition is happening because we believe learning about consent and having it included in every provincial curriculum nation-wide is crucial to keeping our children safe.. Back in November schools in Calgary, Alberta such as Western Canadian High School and Central Memorial High School, andmany others held walk outs to hold the Calgary Board of Education accountable for their inaction regarding sexual assault allegations and the lack of content regarding consent in  Alberta Education’s curriculum. Hundreds of students made it clear they have experienced not feeling safe at school. Many students have reached out for help and have been met with ignorance or little to no support. 

Having consent clearly and prominently outlined in the curriculum and mandatory to teach, would be a huge step in the right direction. One out of four girls reports being inappropriately touched while at school and 25% of those before the age of 11. That’s just what has been reported by students. It is mandatory for students to participate in lockdowns and fire drills with the idea that these protocols decrease their risk of harm, and we are asking for consent to be taught to further decrease risk of harm for students. Just like lockdowns, sexual assault will most likely leave students and people in general traumatized. Learning about consent is crucial in keeping students safe, so why is it not in the curriculum?

Students' voices have been heard on this matter and they’ve made it clear they need change. Sexual education, CALM and general health courses do not contain specific enough material to educate students about consent, and the topic of consent is usually missed or skipped over by most teachers. Consent is not once directly mentioned in the curriculums for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Only three provinces in all of Canada use the word consent in their curricula. Only three provinces.

Making sure students are educated about consent from a trained professional specializing in sexual education could have a huge impact on students wellbeing and feelings of safety while at school. Do you learn well when you feel unsafe? 71% of students at Canadian post secondary institutions have either witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviors. Consent is something that everyone uses on a daily basis, it is the act of asking and giving permission. Consent is not just sexual, it is about body, space and contact/touch. It can be something as simple as a kindergarten student asking to use a classmate's pencil or ask if they can give a classmate a hug. It can be taught to someone at any age, but it needs to be expanded on as students get older. 

No student should feel unsafe at school. It is unacceptable. Three out of five female respondents who have experienced sexual violence in school did not report it. Teachers and administrators need to make sure students are aware theycan say no. 82% of Canadians think a National sex-education strategy would help reduce gender-based violence. Students hear about sex at a young age. They usually get this information from peers who are not well informed and from sources that don’t offer correct information. Since they are not hearing factual information, they will in turn most likely not learn about consent. Sexual harassment, such as cat calling and sexual jokes needs to be openly discussed both in and out of the classroom... High school students should also be taught about sexual assualt. Even though most victims of any type of sexual assault are women and most predators are men, it needs to be clear that sexual assault affects everyone. 67% of Canadian respondents said consent is the most important subject to be covered in Sex-Education nationwide. 

Schools need to make sure they are providing students with reliable resources and excellent support. Health, Sex-Education and CALM courses do not offer specific enough resources and information about sexual health and wellness. Since there are so many topics to cover in these classes, it does not leave enough time for a topic as important as this to be covered. Teachers need to be properly trained to teach consent, as consent can come up in a variety of classes such as English or Social. Professional sexual health and wellness educators need to be brought in to support teachers, answer students’ questions, and provide comprehensive resources or if teachers are not comfortable schools could bring them into teach students. 

Giving students a proper sexual health and wellness education would increase students’  , confidence in their own safety. The curriculum should state that consent is verbal. How alcohol, drugs and peer pressure affect consent must be taught. Decreasing the risk of sexual abuse and assault will likely result in lower suicide/drop out rates and overall mental illness and distress since there is about a 66% higher dropout rate for students who have experienced sexual assault or abuse. 

Consent should be clearly and prominently stated in all Canadian curricula and mandatory for all students from kindergarten to post secondary. Canadian schools need safe learning and living environments for all students, responsive and accountable administration, collection and publication of data on sexual assualts in schools across Canada. 

Resources and sources:

2019 stats can

https://kidshelpphone.ca/get-info/consent-what-it-and-why-its-important​ 

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/18/12/consent-every-age​ 

https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2021/08/10559610/consent-not-in-sex-ed-curriculum-canada​ 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/marketplace-school-violence-sexual-violence-1.5329520