Truro – Council for Life Nova Scotia (CLNS) is “concerned with the philosophy and means used to teach young teens the realities of life” says Tricia Chute, Provincial Coordinator.

CLNS is the provincial coordinating body for local pro-life educational groups across Nova Scotia.

Mrs. Chute made the comment in a brief presented in mid-September to the Nova Scotia Public School Core Program Committee.

Core Program

The Truro meeting of the Core Program Committee was one of seven such sessions held in September around Nova Scotia with a view to implementing a new public school core program in September 1992.  The core program comprises those courses which must be offered by all school boards, but are not compulsory for students.

The proposed core program for junior high includes Personal Development and Relationships (PDR), Health, and for senior high includes Family Studies, PDR courses are offered already at one school in the Colchester East Hants District.

A PDR text used in Grade 8 at Truro Junior High School includes information on masturbation.  Planned Parenthood, artificial contraception and safe sex.

CLNS opposition

“Somehow the philosophy changes when sexual behaviour is taught to teenagers…The use of drugs or alcohol is rejected.”  Mrs. Chute told the committee, “But when it comes to sex the philosophy seems to be teens are going to experience anyway, so let’s teach them to do it safely.,” she added.

Classes on the subject include meeting homosexual AIDS victims who talk openly about their lifestyle, hands-on experience in correct condom application, learning which brands have the best record for strength, and so on, the CLNS brief stated.

“Can you imagine this attitude in drug education?” the brief asked.

The CLNS is “concerned about the growing trend of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) among teenagers, high teen pregnancy rates and rising abortion rates and availability.  We are not convinced that condoms afford the safety that merits the latest hype.  “We are dismayed by the blackmail of school boards by condom machine vendors,” the brief concluded.

Recommendations

The CLNS recommended that:

  • Provision for parental involvement and input be instituted in each year before the curriculum is presented to the students.  Parents should be aware of curriculum content and purposes.  Parental awareness, consent and respect of their wishes must prevail in the instruction of their children in life  classes;
  • Promotion of the condom must be discouraged and true facts of their ineffectiveness to publicized;
  • Blackmail of school boards by condom vendors must not be allowed to continue;
  • Schools should invite the input of the local pro-life group to donate materials to their library and guidance center and counselors should ensure that inquiring and/or pregnant students be given accurate information;
  • Pro-chastity speakers should be invited to speak to student bodies on a similar timetable as anti-drug, anti-drunk driving and AIDS speakers;
  • Nova Scotia school boards should honestly evaluate abstinence programs such as Teen Aid or Postponing Sexual Involvement to be used in conjunction with or to replace current programs.

The CLNS brief included a copy of the pamphlet entitled “Let’s Talk,” authored by Molly Kelly, and an article by Professor Robert C. Noble, “There is No Safe Sex,” Newsweek, April 1, 1991.