Premier doubles down on education policy changes

Speaking to reporters for the first time on the issue since they were announced, Premier Scott Moe doubled down and defended the education policy changes around sex education and gender.

Moe said his caucus has been working on these policies for months and has been hearing from parents for months who want them

“I would hope that as we work our way through the implementation of this policy that ultimately each and every parent is always there to love and support their child, but they are their child,” Moe said after Tuesday’s cabinet shuffle.

The premier repeated several times in his answers to questions around the policies that they’re meant to bring parents closer to their children’s education and schools.

“I would say the vast majority, if not all, parents want to support their child and most certainly want to take an active role in their child’s upbringing and their child’s education,” he explained.

Moe said the government did take children’s rights into account when creating the policies, then said the changes are designed to bring parents and students closer together.

The provincial government’s own document on gender and sexually diverse students says those students should be supported in schools. Moe agrees with that directive, saying all children should be supported in school, and said he disagrees that the policy around parental consent for a gender change doesn’t do that.

“This policy, by its very design, is designed to include parents in their child’s education (and) to include parents in their child’s school. What can be more supportive than bringing parents closer to what is happening in their schools?” said Moe.

Moe called the new policies inclusive, in that they’re designed to include parents in their children’s schools.

The premier said this is an opportunity for parents to become more involved and taken an active role in their children’s education and schools.

Then-Education Minister Dustin Duncan announced the policy changes on Aug. 22.

Under the new rules, parents will have to be notified when sexual health education is happening and what will be included. Parents also will have the ability to take their kids out of the class if they wish.

No third parties will be allowed to be brought in for sexual health education presentations, excepting from the Ministry of Education or the Saskatchewan Health Authority. School divisions also will have to pause working with third parties on sex education programming as well.

Finally, parents will have to provide consent before a requested name and pronoun change from a student will be honoured in the school.

The changes drew swift reaction from a number of organizations who were concerned about the impact the new policies would have on children.