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As hundreds of educators from across the province re-write Alberta’s K-12 curriculum, a group of Edmonton sexual health educators said in June they believed Catholic school trustees were advocating for a “diluted” version of human sexuality education in the new curriculum.

A freedom of information request was then filed to the education ministry for one year’s worth of correspondence with Catholic education organizations about sex education. The documents they released show the Catholic superintendents’ association in January 2017 applied for a $66,005 grant to develop “a parallel human sexuality curriculum that reflects many common outcomes embedded in our Catholic faith.”

The superintendents wanted a group of about 10 educators to write a new sex-ed curriculum in the winter and spring of 2017, then have it reviewed by religious educators, a teacher focus group, and Alberta bishops and clergy.

On March 1, 2017, education department deputy minister Curtis Clark denied the application, saying the government doesn’t pay for religious curriculum or resources.

The project is still going ahead, Germann said, using personnel and resources from Catholic school districts across Alberta. They should have a draft curriculum to submit to the education ministry for approval in three weeks, he said.

No ‘modern gender theory’

In April, after the grant proposal was rejected, the group of Catholic superintendents sent “key messages” to the ministry about Catholic school districts’ “needs” in the new curriculum, including examples of where the as-yet unwritten curriculum may conflict with Catholic teachings.