Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
National

School Superintendent Says 'Unbelievable Mistake' To Give Kids Graphic Sex Guide

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Jun, 2019 11:43 PM

    CRANBROOK, B.C. — The manager of a public health nurse says she is sorry for mistakenly giving a class of British Columbia students a sex-education guide that contained graphic images, including a picture of bondage between cartoon animals.


    Roger Parsonage, executive director of clinical operations for the East Kootenay region served by the Interior Health Authority, says he's not sure why the adult booklet was distributed to students in Grades 6 and 7 after a session on sexual health.


    Parsonage says the nurse was teaching at Erickson Elementary School in Creston, B.C., with a student nurse when the children were given the explicit booklet containing information about sexually transmitted diseases and drug use during sex.


    He says material used for future classes will be reviewed by Interior Health and the school district before it's provided to students.


    Parsonage says he is not sure why the booklet was brought to the school in the first place but any material that is used in future classes will be reviewed in advance by Interior Health and the school district.


    He says third-party material is used to teach sexual health but it must be appropriate for school-aged children.


    "All of us are sorry that this happened," Parsonage says. "And we've apologized to the parents as well as to the school, the principal and the school district. This was a mistake that shouldn't have occurred and we'll take steps to ensure it won't happen again."


    Christine Perkins, superintendent of the Kootenay Lake School District, says the "unfortunate, unbelievable mistake" last week had parents complaining at a public board meeting.


    She says parents were shocked when children brought home the booklet, produced by a Toronto group called CATIE — the Canadian Aids Treatment Information Exchange.


    "I was shocked when I looked at it," she says, adding the booklet clearly states it's for mature audiences. "I think of myself as fairly open minded and liberal and I was appalled," she says.


    Perkins says a school psychologist phoned all the parents and offered counselling at the school this week or group counselling next week but no one has taken up the offer so far.


    "We have increased and improved our vetting of anything that comes through the schools so we're hyper vigilant now after this happened. It was just way too graphic and way too adult for Grade 6 and 7 students and that's just the bottom line."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Protesters On Either Side Of Trans Mountain Debate Clash At Vancouver Rally

    Protesters On Either Side Of Trans Mountain Debate Clash At Vancouver Rally
    VANCOUVER — Protesters on either side of the debate over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion clashed at a rally organized by the project's supporters in Vancouver today.

    Protesters On Either Side Of Trans Mountain Debate Clash At Vancouver Rally

    New Trial Ordered For Man Accused Of Human Smuggling In MV Sun Sea Case

    VANCOUVER — The British Columbia Appeal Court has ordered a new trial for a Sri Lankan man found guilty of smuggling Tamil migrants to Canada aboard a dilapidated cargo vessel in 2010.    

    New Trial Ordered For Man Accused Of Human Smuggling In MV Sun Sea Case

    124 Children Affected By January Gas Leak That Forced Evacuation Of Montreal School

    124 Children Affected By January Gas Leak That Forced Evacuation Of Montreal School
    Montreal public health officials say 124 children suffered symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning after a gas leak last January forced the evacuation of their elementary school.    

    124 Children Affected By January Gas Leak That Forced Evacuation Of Montreal School

    Manitoba Mountie Accused Of Manslaughter Was Hobbling After Shooting, Court Told

    Manitoba Mountie Accused Of Manslaughter Was Hobbling After Shooting, Court Told
    The manslaughter trial of an RCMP officer in northern Manitoba has been told the Mountie was in pain and had difficulty walking following an on-duty shooting that left one man dead.

    Manitoba Mountie Accused Of Manslaughter Was Hobbling After Shooting, Court Told

    Pricey Tours Of Decaying Titanic Shipwreck Delayed Until June 2020

    ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Adventure tourists who paid $168,000 each to help survey the Titanic shipwreck off Newfoundland have been told their much-anticipated dives are being postponed.    

    Pricey Tours Of Decaying Titanic Shipwreck Delayed Until June 2020

    Dominic LeBlanc Announces He Will Run Again After Success With Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Fight

    MONCTON, N.B. — Veteran New Brunswick Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc, recovering from cancer, says he will be a candidate in the next federal election in his riding of Beausejour.    

    Dominic LeBlanc Announces He Will Run Again After Success With Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Fight