Three quarters think sex education should be taught both at home and school

TORONTO FEBRUARY 28th, 2015 - In a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 996 Ontario voters, one half approve of the province’s new sex education curriculum (49%) while one third disapprove (34%). Just fewer than one fifth have no opinion (17%). Disapproval of the curriculum is common to mid aged groups (44 to 54 - 46%), males (38%) rather than females (30%), the wealthier ($80K to $100K - 41%), in Northern Ontario (43%) but not in Toronto (25%), especially among PC supporters (61%), but hardly at all among Liberals (11%) or New Democrats (19%). Those with children under 18 are more likely to disapprove of the new curriculum (44%) than those without kids (29%) and disapproval is especially strong among the least educated (45%) and much less so amongst the best educated (post grad – 21% disapprove). Those who disapprove of Kathleen Wynne are more likely to disapprove of the curriculum (56%) than those who approve of the Premier (7%). Disapproval is highest among Evangelical Christians (69% - caution: small base size), lower among Catholics (44%) and Protestants (40%), but lowest of all among non-Christians (23%) and those with no religion (20%). There is little difference on this dimension between those who pay taxes to the public school system and those who support the separate school board.

Sex education should be taught both at home and in school; three quarters

Three quarters of Ontario voters say sex education should be taught both at home and at school (74%), and this view is most common to the youngest (79%), the least wealthy (79%), in Southwestern Ontario (78%), among Liberals and New Democrats (83% each) but not so much among Progressive Conservatives (65%), among mothers of children under 18 (76%) and those with no kids (77%), among those with a college degree (78%), among those who approve of Kathleen Wynne (85%), among Catholics (77%), other Christians (85%) and the non-religious (83%), but not among Evangelicals (37% - caution: small base size) and those who do not approve of the curriculum (53%). In total, just more than one tenth of voters think sex education should be taught “mostly at home” (12%), and this is especially the case among the oldest (17%), mid income groups ($40K to $60K - 17%), PC supporters (23%), those with some college (20%), who disapprove of Kathleen Wynne (20%), evangelicals (49% - caution: small base size), those who think Wynne should resign (24%) and those who disapprove of the curriculum (32%). Fewer think sex education should be taught mostly at school (7%) and very few think it should be taught only at school (2%), only at home (3%) or not at all (1%). There is no one who does not have an opinion on this issue.

Close to half think sex education should be taught between 8 and 12 years old

Almost half of Ontario voters think sex education should be taught to pupils between 8 and 12 years old (46%), while one quarter think this instruction should occur between 5 and 8 years of age (24%). Fewer than this think sex education should be delayed until after 12 years of age (16%). Few think it should be taught before children are five (7%), or that it should never be taught (3%). Once again, few have no opinion on this issue (3%). Thinking sex education should never be taught is commonest to the least wealthy (5%), PC supporters (5%), those with some college (5%), evangelicals (12% - caution: small base size), those who think the Premier should resign (5%) and those who disapprove of the curriculum (8%). On average, voters think children should be taught about sex at about nine and a half years of age.

“While it is moderately popular, it doesn’t look like the new Health and Physical Education curriculum is the home run the Premier was hoping it was. It hasn’t distracted much from the Sudbury by-election controversy, and it and it hasn’t lifted the government in our polling. What may be more diagnostic of the issue is the high proportion who think sex education belongs in school, and the very small percentages who think it doesn’t belong in school or shouldn’t be taught at all. Where voters may have a problem is the age at which instruction begins. In our sample, voters think about nine or ten years old is appropriate, but many of the elements of this curriculum will be taught before that," said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.

Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416) 960-9603.