TORONTO — The Ontario government is launching a snitch site for parents to lodge complaints against teachers they believe aren’t following provincial curriculum.

In a press release issued Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford warned teachers against teaching the 2015 sex-ed curriculum the Progressive Conservatives repealed in July.

“We expect our teachers, principals and school board officials to fulfill their obligations to parents and children when it comes to what our students learn in the classroom,” he said.

“We will not tolerate anybody using our children as pawns for grandstanding and political games. And, make no mistake, if we find somebody failing to do their job, we will act.”

[READ MORE: Ontario teachers can discuss issues not in sex-ed curriculum in private, says deputy premier]

The release also announced the start of consultations in September which will cover a new sex-ed curriculum and several other curricula, including math, trades and life skills.

The province is also asking for parent feedback on Ford’s campaign promise to ban cellphones in the classroom.

Neither the premier nor Education Minister Lisa Thompson was made available for questions or interviews.

Until now the government said it would rely on the sex-ed curriculum from 1998. However, the government instead put out a revised version of that curriculum from 2010.

As part of a plan to ensure teachers only use the 2010sex-ed curriculum, the government unveiled a complaints website for parents — branded fortheparents.ca — and reminded them of other ways to complain about teachers both online and over the phone with the Ontario College of Teachers.

In a tweet, the president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) called the government’s plan a “blatant attack” on teachers.

It’s “unprecedented, outrageous, and shameful!” Sam Hammond said.

Doug Ford & the Minister of Ed calling on parents to file complaints against Teachers. Unprecedented, outrageous, and shameful! This is a blatant attack on the professionalism, the profession judgement, of teachers.#shame @@ETFOeducators @OFLabour @CanTeachersFed pic.twitter.com/T9jvOseSrz — Sam Hammond (@etfopresident) August 22, 2018



The province is also creating a public interest committee that will be part of the college and responsible for “ensuring curriculum-based misconduct issues are fairly dealt with at the college.”

According to the act that governs the teachers’ college, the minister can appoint between three and five people to the committee. None of them can be members of the college.

The committee will also help create a Parents’ Bill of Rights.

[READ MORE: Ontario families launch human rights challenge against sex-ed curriculum rollback]

ETFO has previously said it will “vigorously defend” any teacher who uses the modernized 2015 sex-ed curriculum in their classes. At the time, Thompson refused to answer repeated questions about what if any consequences teachers would face if they teach the newer curriculum.

The government did not release a detailed explanation of the differences between the curricula from 1998, 2010 and 2015. While the 1998 version doesn’t reference LGBTQ issues, same-sex marriage, cyberbullying, or sexting, the 2010 version covers some of it.

For example, the 2010 curriculum references people who identify as LGBT but only in reference to a discussion around homophobia. It doesn’t mention same-sex marriage or same-sex relationships.

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario said the lack of information on those areas as well as consent and the proper naming of body parts will leave students ill prepared and unprotected.

“The risk is huge,” Doris Grinspun told iPolitics. She said the older sex-ed curriculum turns makes a healthy sex life “taboo.”

“You wouldn’t say to a kid don’t’ call your nose a nose,” she said.

School boards across Ontario have been asking for more clarity from the province about what exactly can be taught under the older curriculum. The Toronto District School Board said its still reviewing the differences between the teaching guidelines.

“Parents would have expected the province to have explained more clearly the differences between the two curriculums — both over 200 pages — but based on the information released today, we’re disappointed to see that it’s still very unclear,” read a statement from board chair Robin Pilkey.

Both the NDP and Green Party issued statements condemning the government’s moves. The NDP accused the Tories of setting up a “rigged” consultation while the Greens said the government is putting politics ahead of student well-being.

Complaints about the 2015 curriculum centred on discussions of same-sex marriage, gender identity and masturbation. During the spring provincial election, Ford pledged to repeal it and consult with parents on a new one.

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