Quebec schools to begin educating five-year-olds on same-sex relationships

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Canada has introduced sex education for children as young as five.

After a two-year trial project involving 200 schools proved successful, it has been announced that the curriculum will become mandatory for more than 3,000 schools.

Children will begin by learning about the basics of sex at the age of five.

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The rollout is planned for September 2018.

Kids will initially begin by learning about different types of families, including ones which include same-sex couples.

But the new curriculum has prompted outrage from parents who believe that the syllabus is not age-appropriate.

VANCOUVER, BC - AUGUST 06: Netflix's Sense8 cast member Max Riemelt attends Vancouver Pride Parade on August 6, 2017 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images for Netflix)

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Because apparently, five-year-olds shouldn’t be aware of loving parents different to theirs.

One of those who has expressed opposition is Donatella Garofalo, mother to a 10-year-old, who told The Western Star: “This has nothing to do with religion.

“This has to do with age-appropriate material.”

And some protesters have named the new curriculum a “sex activist agenda” that “abuses” children and their innocence.

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Nevertheless, the plan is set to go ahead.

As the children grow older they will be taught key knowledge regarding being safe when it comes to sex and their health.

Canadian Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau speaks at a press conference in Ottawa on October 20, 2015 after winning the general elections.  Liberal leader Justin Trudeau reached out to Canada's traditional allies after winning a landslide election mandate to change tack on global warming and return to the multilateralism sometimes shunned by his predecessor.   AFP PHOTO/NICHOLAS KAMM        (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

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This will include learning about homophobia and sexism at the age of 12, and consent at 13.

At a forum on sexual violence and harassment on Thursday, Education Minister Sébastien Proulx said: “I know it’s not an easy subject, I know these are sensitive questions, but we now have a societal response to a societal issue, and this is what we’re going to do.”

Once implemented, one million children will be taught using a similar curriculum to those in British Columbia and Ontario.

It was in these regions where parents threatened to pull their children out of school for a week in 2015 after changes were made to the sex education syllabus which they deemed inappropriate.

Proulx has promised that five hours a year will be dedicated to teaching sex education from the beginning to the end of every child’s school career in a bid to decrease the number of sexual assaults in Quebec.

Photo: (PETER MCCABE/AFP/Getty Images)

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Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said that sex education would consist of activities spread throughout every child’s education, rather than in specific classes, according to CBC.

“I have the impression that the vast majority of Quebecers want this,” he said.

“This is the point we’re at, clearly.”

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