Thank you for submitting your questions to School District No. 83 (SD83) North Okanagan-Shuswap through the District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC). A number of questions submitted did not fall within the scope of public education; as a result, answers could not be provided by SD83. There was a subset of questions that were more medical in nature that would be better answered by doctors, specialists, social psychologists, and could not be answered by SOGI inclusive educators. Lastly, some questions perpetuated homophobia and transphobia, therefore, will not be answered or published to protect our students, staff, and community members.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Director of Student Support & Wellness (SSW), Gillian Dawe-Taylor, at gdawetay@sd83.bc.ca or 250-804-7825, ext. 13450. Our SSW department provides supports to schools to enact SOGI inclusive education and are best positioned to answer your questions.
SD83 supports and upholds SOGI affirming human right’s legislation, policy, procedures, and programming. The Canadian Human Rights Act and the BC Human Rights Code requires lack of discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability and conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted or in respect of which a record suspension has been ordered.
The Ministry of Education and Child Care within their ERASE (expect respect and a safe education) strategy directs schools to work towards erasing discrimination and embracing inclusion of SOGI. SOGI must be included in school codes of conduct and anti-bullying policies. SOGI 123, a resource that supports educators in addressing topics of respecting differences and valuing diversity in the provincial curriculum, is provided by the ministry. It helps schools create safe, caring, and inclusive learning environments for all students regardless of their race, culture, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.
SD83’s Board of Education‘s Policy 121 Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and the SD83 SOGI Guidelines outline how we keep our schools safe and inclusive of everyone, including those who are members of a sexual orientation of gender identity minority. Guidance is provided for visibility, protection, and inclusion.
SD83 schools align their codes of conduct, school rules/expectations, and responses to bullying to the district policy, procedures, and guidelines.
Method of Q&A
Current trends show a lack of safety for and respect of diverse individuals and discussions about such topics publicly. RCMP have had to be involved in other districts. Diverse students, staff, and family members have been exposed to hate speech and threats at these sessions. This Q&A will be published on the District website and distributed to parents through DPAC.
Human Rights
No, the District respects diversity and the Human Rights Code that protects all individuals from discrimination. It will support and defend the inclusion of all persons it serves with the voice of legislation, policy, and practices. Schools are to be safe, inclusive environments for all, free of discrimination. Public school districts are secular by legislation. Parents wishing to teach particular religious perspectives will need to do so at home. There is no provision within the School Act or SOGI 123 that prevents parents from exercising their rights as parents to raise their children and influence their growth and development with values and beliefs that are part of their religion or culture. Home schooling or separate schools are other options parents may choose for educating their children.
The education of children and youth is a community effort that involves parents/guardians, teachers, and the children and youth themselves, and their views and values. Many people in the community will have views that influence our children and youth. Some ideas will be in opposition of others. It is a parent/guardian’s responsibility to have discussions at home that help form the values of the children/youth in their care. It is the district’s responsibility to educate students using the filter of approved curricula or resources to meet the Ministry’s goal of preparing the “Educated Citizen”.
SOGI Inclusive Education
SOGI is an integrated part of curriculum. Students graduating from BC schools will experience a SOGI inclusive education and environment. There is no separate and distinct SOGI program or curriculum. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) are important topics that are interwoven through several curriculum areas, most notably, Physical and Health Education, Language Arts, and Social Studies. How the topics are introduced to students is dependent on the age and stage of their development. These topics may also be discussed as they arise in the daily lives of students. See SOGI 123.
The work that is being done in the District is in support of the Ministry of Education and Child Care’s curriculum, it is not unique to SD83, it is province wide. This work has been mandated in both public and private school systems. SD83 is ensuring that the diversity that exists in school is reflected in the conversations in the classroom – there has been no addition to the curriculum. There is nothing overly new about this, a new subject area is not being introduced. Teachers have been teaching this curriculum for years, but there is an increasing awareness to be inclusive. It is important that these conversations are respectful and inclusive.
No, there is no opting out of SOGI inclusive resources or language in classes. The diversity of people is represented in resources, families, and all K-12 curriculum. SD83 teachers have autonomy to create age-appropriate lessons that best suit the learning of their students.
The Alternative Delivery Policy for Sexual Health Education (K-10) is designed to ensure that students receive comprehensive and age-appropriate sexual health education, regardless of the method of delivery. This policy does not allow for the content area to be omitted or skipped over. It is important for students to receive accurate and inclusive information about sexual health to make informed decisions and protect their well-being. The Alternative Delivery Policy may provide flexibility in how the information is delivered, but the content must still be covered in its entirety and students must be able to demonstrate their learning.
The school will:
- send out a notice to parents and guardians in September outlining the health topics you will be covering throughout the year
To request a method of alternate delivery, the parent:
- reads the health guide and/or health topics class list and identifies the topics they wish to deliver through alternative means
- meets with the principal to propose how they will provide the alternate delivery
- the alternate means of delivery must be agreed upon by the students, their parents or guardians, and the principal
For further information see the Elementary Health curriculum guide, the Secondary Health curriculum guide, and the Alternative Delivery Policy.
No, sexuality as a concept is discussed starting in grade 4 (with the onset of puberty) but does not include discussions about sexual acts or practices. Secondary students need accurate information about relationships and safe sex. Lack of information can have significant consequences for youth health and emotional wellbeing.
It’s important that all students feel safe and welcomed in school. In order to do that, it’s important that everyone has the opportunity to learn about each other and celebrate each other’s differences. Unfortunately, children are already learning homophobic and transphobic slurs starting in the primary years. The job of educators is to make schools safe by opposing all bullying and name calling.
Information and discussion will not make anyone gay or straight. No one decides to be gay or straight, it is not a “lifestyle choice”. As students grow older, some will identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. All of our students need to feel safe, welcome and positively reflected in the curriculum.
Yes, SOGI 1 2 3 (sogieducation.org). Also see SOGI-inclusive Education Resource Guide. In addition the BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils has a number of parent SOGI resources.
The best place to start is always with your child’s teacher. As with all areas of the curriculum, the classroom teacher is the most knowledgeable about the subjects being taught in individual classes. The school-based administrator can also be an excellent source of information.
See SD83 Regulation 8030.05R. In terms of library resources, SD83 has diverse library collections in our schools. We always encourage parents to engage in their child’s education by reviewing library books their child has signed out. Also see A Curated List of SOGI-Inclusive Books for K-12 Schools.
Very little. SD83 has a 0.1 SOGI District Lead. SOGI school leads are voluntary. SOGI inclusive education is implemented by regular classroom teachers. Most SOGI resources are free and some materials may be purchased to support classroom instruction.
All teachers in BC must have a valid BC teaching certificate. This certificate is currently earned with a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree, however many staff have a Master’s Degree or post-graduate diplomas.
Safety, Inclusion at School and Supports
SD83 has counselling support available for all students at all grades. Other school supports include showing kindness, honouring a student’s requests, and prompt response to bullying and suspected bullying.
SD83 is concerned about ensuring safety and preventing misbehaviour in washrooms for all students. Identity and orientation concerns are not behaviour concerns. Ensuring all people have a safe space to use washroom facilities during the school day is a priority for SD83 and there is a facility’s plan to ensure all-gender washrooms are in place in all our schools. Please speak with the school principal if your child prefers to use a private washroom or changeroom.
No. Teachers have been asked to think about using more inclusive strategies for grouping students or speaking collectively about a class. For example, instead of saying “good morning boys and girls” a teacher may use a phrase such as “good morning students”. This allows for all students to feel included regardless of their gender identity.
No. School staff may redirect to another professional or provide a referral to the student and/or family.
Yes. Incidents of harassment or bullying, including ongoing misuse of names and pronouns, will be addressed. Please see SD83 Board Policy 121.
A good start is always to check with counselling staff at your child’s school. You may be referred to helpful online and community resources.
Yes, students are encouraged to be Upstanders who choose to support a person who is being harmed, bullied or abused. Allyship is encouraged across diversity.
SD83 follows the ERASE provincial strategy. ERASE = expect respect and a safe education and it focuses on online safety, mental health and wellbeing, bullying, racism, school safety, SOGI, substance use, compassionate systems leadership, and gender-based violence.
We hear from our former grads that an affirming school experience changed their outcome by helping them feel hopeful for their future. Specific stories would not be ours to share.
No, our aim is always to include all children regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. There is no mandatory formal training; we learn through professional development, inservice, trainings, lived experience and lessons from our diverse students and families. See BC Educators SOGI 123 information.
Know your child is welcome at SD83. Speak to professionals in the medical field. The Canadian Paediatric Society says "There is nothing medically or psychologically wrong with your child. Gender diversity is not a result of illness or parenting style. It isn't caused by letting your son play with dolls, or your daughter play with trucks. If your child is transgender or gender-creative, they can live a happy and healthy life. Get support from other parents of transgender and gender-creative children, or talk to a mental health professional who specializes in the care of transgender and gender-creative children (if available in your community). Indigenous families can talk to a two-spirit elder or leader."
For further information, visit the Canadian Paediatric Society – Caring for Kids website at https://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/.
Minister’s, K-12 education partners’ statement on support for SOGI
SOGI Truths and Non-Truths from the Ministry of Education and Child Care
BC Teacher’s Federation SOGI Resources
SOGI Inclusive Classroom Checklist
LGBTQ+ Students in British Columbia: 12 Evidence-Based Facts
CUPE 2SLGBTQI+ (Canadian Union of Public Employees)
BCSSA SOGI (BS School Superintendents’ Association”
BCPVPA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Resources (BC Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association)
BCTLA (BC Teacher Librarians’ Association)
Gender Identity Handout from the Canadian Paediatric Society