Roles of the school and the family in sexuality education

Every adult who plays a significant role in the life of a child or an adolescent has a role to play in sexuality education. This includes parents and members of the school staff, who have educational responsibilities. Their roles with regard to sexuality education are complementary.

It is within the family that children learn about ways of living and expressing themselves, while the school is a place for reflection where young people can participate in discussions and learn to live in relation to others. The complementarity between the school and the family reinforces and optimizes the actions of each stakeholder in relation to sexuality education.

Sexuality education begins at home. In fact, it is within the family that children first get to know themselves, interact with different people, give and receive affection and love, and show empathy.

Parents can play an active role while respecting their values and taking their children’s personalities into account, namely by: 

• creating a climate of trust that will allow their children to ask questions about the issues that are of concern to them
• continuing the discussion begun in school by talking to their children about the different content covered in class
• seeking out the information and support they need, in particular by participating in awareness-raising sessions and drawing on the resources of the school or its partners, including the health care system and community organizations

Parents act as models and influence their children’s attitudes and behaviours. They are in a position to fulfill their role in sexuality education in a straightforward and honest manner.

In addition to providing instruction and qualifications, the school is a social environment where students interact and have many opportunities to learn how to live in society, such as friendships, romantic relationships, egalitarian relationships.

When they reach puberty, some young people may prefer to discuss sexuality with their friends or with trusted adults at school, rather than with their parents. Some parents may feel embarrassed and have difficulty broaching the subject of sexuality with their children.

Events related to students’ sexuality occur on a daily basis in schools. Here are a few examples:

• a kindergarten student who has just welcomed a little brother asks his teacher questions about where babies come from
• a student tells her childcare educator that a student had pulled his pants down in front of the other students
• a student asks his teacher what the difference is between a friend and a romantic partner
• in a science and technology class, a student asks the teacher how old a girl has to be to start taking the contraceptive pill
• a student asks her teacher if it is true that girls are not as good at sports as boys are
• a teacher intervenes with two students who are making homophobic comments

Situations such as these highlight the need for sexuality education and require that school staff intervene on a daily basis. Providing staff members with qualifications equips them to answer questions and to respond to situations by using the most appropriate educational approach (reassure, encourage reflection, provide information, reframe), according to need, and to provide accurate, quality information.

The school principal orchestrates the actions related to the overall planning of sexuality education. The school principal must develop an annual planning in conjunction with other school staff specifically for the compulsory content in sexuality education that is to be offered in complement to the Culture and Citizenship in Québec program or to students to whom this program is not taught (when, how and who will provide the content to students).

The school is responsible for providing parents with useful and relevant information concerning the planning of sexuality education as well as on the students’ curriculum, including the Culture and Citizenship in Québec program.

The school must develop an annual planning for the compulsory content that is to be offered in complement to the Culture and Citizenship in Québec program or to students to whom this program is not taught, which is to then be approved by the governing board. It should be noted that the governing board does not approve the planning developed by the staff who teach the Culture and Citizenship in Québec program.

The school principal must determine in conjunction with other school staff who will be responsible for providing the compulsory content in sexuality education that is to be offered in complement to the Culture and Citizenship in Québec program or to students to whom this program is not taught.

The school service centre or school board is responsible for training and supporting school staff who contribute to offering sexuality education, making use of the training, support and tools made available to it by the Ministère de l'Éducation. It may also work with different partners to complete or improve the sexuality education offered in its schools, based on the community’s needs.

The school may call on professionals from the health and social services network, such as school nurses. It can also use the services of community organizations with expertise in specific areas (e.g. prevention of discrimination based on sexual and gender diversity, prevention of sexual violence).