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Family Life Education Fact Sheet

February 8, 2021

  • ​Winnipeg School Division (WSD) offers a WSD-developed Family Life Education resource which has outcomes/lessons for students from Grade 4 to 10 as part of the Physical Education/Health Education program. (Provincial curriculum directs outcomes/lessons for students in Grades 5, 7, 9 and 10.)
  • Parents/guardians of Grade 4 to 10 students are informed each year that Family Life Education will be taught.
  • Family Life Education provides Grade 4 to 6 students the opportunity to build their understanding and com- fort about: healthy relationships, positive self-esteem, healthy decision making, changing bodies and minds through growth and development, and diversity within families.
  • Grade 7 to 10 students learn about family structure and function, healthy relationships, puberty, growth and development, social and emotional development, male and female reproductive systems, decision-making, refusal and problem-solving skills.
  • Goals of Family Life Education are to develop a positive attitude in which respect, honesty, responsibility, understanding, acceptance and caring is encouraged within all relationships.
  • Family Life Education helps students to challenge the confusing messages from the media, movies, music videos and television.
  • Winnipeg School Division believes that parents /guardians and teachers must work together to provide stu- dents with accurate information and supports so that they will develop positive attitudes and behaviour and choose to lead a healthy lifestyle.
  • WSD recognizes that parents/guardians are, and always will be, children's primary sexuality educators. Since human sexuality is an essential, integral part of human existence, parents teach about sexuality and rela- tionships from the time their children are born.
  • WSD offers workshops for parents, on request about how to talk to their children about sex.
  • Prior to teaching Family Life classes, teachers attend a mandatory two-day workshop.
  • Public Health Agency of Canada states that access to effective, broadly-based sexual health education is an important contributing factor to the health and well-being of Canadian youth. Sexual Health Education in Schools: Questions and Answers 3rd Edition
  • By providing written notification, parents/guardians may withdraw their child/children  from  Family  Life Education classes.
  • Winnipeg School Division policy in regard to Family Life Education is IGAE Health Education.

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