“It goes beyond the fundamentals of sex and education.” Analysis on the online commenting on the curriculum reform in Ontario

Abstract

School-based sex education is a sensitive topic that divides opinions. This research focuses on the 2015 curriculum reform on sex education in Ontario and especially on the public online commenting on it. It was considered an interesting example of how educational reforms arouse debate and how the media can influence opinions. The data comprises comments (N = 544, of which 453 were included in the analysis) on a news article published by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The qualitative content analysing method was used for answering the main research question: What are netizens commenting regarding the curriculum reform in Ontario? The most significant themes were various emphases between children’s rights and adults’ values; political dimensions of the curriculum reform; and appropriate timing for sex education. Instead of clear differences of opinions, netizens seemed to highlight different kinds of priorities. The research helps in understanding the multidimensional process of curriculum reform in a broader manner.

Keywords

• sex education
• school-based sexual education
• sensitive subjects
• curriculum
• educational policy