Editorial: Disappointing change

While election hype is ramping up at the municipal level here in South Dundas as the nomination deadline approaches voters are likely considering their options. However, too often when elections happen people don’t get what they expect.

Election results generally give the sense of one of two things – they imply that people are satisfied and that they are content to see more of the same; or that they want something different.

However, when the vote suggests that change is what they want, the fact is that change is not generally what they get. What they often end up with is a group of people working to undo what the previous government did.

That is not change. What it is, actually, is spending time focusing on trying to alter the past rather than spending time focusing on moving the country/province/community forward to keep up with changing times.

Changes to Ontario’s sex education curriculum made by the Wynne government during its tenure, while condemned by certain religious advocacy groups who say the curriculum is radical and controversial, were a step forward in keeping pace with the times. Premier Doug Ford’s plan to rescind the current curriculum and re-do what has already been done is a waste time.

Since the old sex ed curriculum was implemented in 1998, a lot has changed – namely ease of access to the internet and its contents and the invention of social media in all its various platforms.

Words like social media and cyber-bullying didn’t even exist in 1998. The terms lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, aren’t even mentioned in the document: yet these terms might be part of everyday life for kids in inclusive classrooms. The loss of the current sex-ed curriculum, which has the support of many parent and teacher groups, will not prove an advantage to the children who need to be armed with accurate, up to date and relevant information. This move panders politically to a certain group, and does not reflect what an average person who voted for change wants.
Those who voted for change should not be fated to re-live past decisions. Every four years it is not necessary to bring out the wheel so it can be re-invented.