New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has expressed his dismay over the “inappropriate” material shared with students at New Brunswick high schools, leading to the decision to prohibit the group responsible for the presentation from entering schools.
“A number of concerned parents have brought to my attention photos and screenshots of clearly inappropriate content that was recently presented in at least four New Brunswick high schools,” he stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on May 24.
“To say I am furious would be an understatement,” he added.
“This presentation was not part of the New Brunswick curriculum and the content was not disclosed to parents beforehand,” he mentioned. “Department of Education officials informed my office that this was intended to be a presentation on HPV.”
The premier emphasized that the material exceeded the boundaries of an HPV presentation.
A photo attached to the post displayed various questions on a board by the group, including “Is it normal to watch porn like people watch TV series?” and other references to sexual activities.
“This group will no longer be permitted to present in New Brunswick schools, effective immediately,” he announced in the post.
“Our government will explore the need to update additional regulations regarding third-party presentations,” he added.
Mr. Higgs affirmed his support for parents, emphasizing the importance of keeping them informed about school activities.
“I want parents to know that we stand by you. We will continue to make decisions based on the belief that parents must be informed about school events to make educated parenting choices,” he wrote.
He also encouraged parents to participate in a survey regarding third-party presentations.
Mr. Higgs’s administration has introduced legislation requiring schools to obtain parental consent if a student wishes to change their pronouns or name.
SK Bans Planned Parenthood From Schools
In June 2023, Saskatchewan’s then-education minister, Dustin Duncan, suspended Planned Parenthood from conducting presentations in schools following the discovery of “inappropriate” sexual content at a high school in Lumsden, north of Regina.
The material included explicit sexual terms corresponding to each letter of the alphabet. While Planned Parenthood claimed that the material was not part of the presentation, it was accessible on a side table.
“It’s entirely inappropriate for the classroom setting, which is the basis for today’s directive,” Mr. Duncan mentioned at the time.
The executive director of Regina’s Planned Parenthood expressed disappointment with the decision.
Julian Wotherspoon stated that the organization addresses contraceptives, sexually transmitted infections, and sexual consent while educators are present in the classrooms.
“We believe that individuals of all ages have a right to receive information about their sexual health,” she emphasized.
Matthew Horwood and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
