Sex education protests took place Thursday morning in Hamilton with about 100 Muslim parents and children at Stoney Creek's Lake Avenue elementary school in a peaceful sidewalk march.

Organizer Rukhsana Amer said the parents believe the new provincial curriculum is presented too early in young grades and aspects of masturbation and intercourse too early for Grades 7 and 8.

"It's not a religious concern, it's a concern as a parent," she said.

A provincial group called for Ontario-wide protests Thursday, but Hamilton public school board spokesperson Jackie Penman said only Lake Avenue had protesters and 130 students absent.

The Catholic board had no protests or reports of students taken out of school for the day, said board chair Pat Daly.

Amer said the protesters are worried the curriculum teaches kids to have sex and to masturbate.

There is a time to teach such matters, "but not at this age," said the mother of three girls — 7, 11, and 13 — at Gatestone elementary on Stoney Creek Mountain.

Her husband Amir Mirza, added, "It's too early for small kids to be taught about sex and body parts in Grade 2 …" He said Canada lags behind in teaching children computer and software skills, adding, "We want their brains to think technically, not sexually."

The 55 parents and 45 schoolchildren and preschoolers marched on Delawana Drive to Centennial Parkway and back carrying signs saying, "Teach Math & Science, not Sex" and "Don't Damage Our Children." Kids carried signs saying "Don't Steal My Innocence."

Hamidia Baig, 31, is a married woman without children who joined the protest, saying, "I don't want my future kids to learn something inappropriate for their age."

Other parents dropping their kids off for school disagreed with the protest.

K.J. Santiago, who has a four-year-old daughter in junior kindergarten, said, "I don't agree with it. Nowadays, sex is everywhere … I feel it's better to learn, to be aware of the dangers and the protection needed …"

Under the new curriculum, Grade 3s learn about same-sex relationships, Grades 4 and up, about the dangers of online bullying, and Grade 7s, the perils of sexting. Puberty lessons move from Grade 5 to 4, while masturbation and gender expression are mentioned in Grade 6.

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Hamilton Muslim Association's Raza Khan has said the province consulted with Muslim leaders, and that his association has a flyer that includes a grade-by-grade breakdown of what children will be learning, common misconceptions and a sermon.