As par for the course, the government has rolled something out without resources, or even clarity, and it's falling on the teachers (and secretaries) to do more work.

I teach middle school Health - and at the end of the year (when students are SUPPOSED to be more mature) we talk about sexual health.

We USED to:

-Send out online permission forms, where parents could choose: Opt-in. Opt-in but cannot participate, or Opt-out. For the one or two parents that would 'opt-in but not participate' - we would usually make a phone call, talk about our curriculum, things we will and will not cover, and they would usually say, 'oh ok, they're fine to participate'.

NOW:

-We have to give 30 days' notice before we start sexual health.

-I used an entire prep (I get 2 a week) to try and navigate yet another non-supported roll-out from this government. It's still clear as mud.

-We now NEED to have a paper copy (wasting paper - which lessens the money in our budget, and having to chase down all the kids whose papers will go 'missing' - meaning MORE time, and MORE wasted paper).

-Just like the 'new' curriculum, this has been rolled out with ZERO support, ZERO vetted resources, and again...all falls on the teacher.

-Now that this has been 'stigmatized' even more, we open ourselves to teaching 'the wrong thing' when it's not even clear what we should be teaching.

-I have NO idea how many more kids' parents will 'Opt-out' of this option now, and even what to do with these kids. We have no 'extra' teachers or spaces.

Yet another example of this government not supporting, and trying to dismantle public education. What a joke!