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Ayas said he understands the government’s objectives but that the teachings are not from a Catholic perspective.

“This is not a judgment on other people’s values but, for us, sex is done within the context of marriage,” he said.

Attempts to introduce sexual education to the curriculum have been controversial in places such as Ontario, where thousands of parents pulled their children out of class and forced the province to allow opting out.

Ayas said while he doesn’t expect the same outcome in Quebec, he does foresee plenty of conversations between parents and provincial lawmakers, teachers and school administrators.

“We do not accept this course, I’m not asking for an accommodation in that sense,” Ayas said. “I reject that course because it lacks the fundamental spiritual component and provides solutions that are not our solutions.”

Others question the appropriateness of discussing the topic with very young children.

Donatella Garofalo, a Montreal-area mother of a 10-year-old boy, said she takes issue with kids between five and 10 being taught about sexuality.

“The problem with the government program is it focuses on a too young of a crowd,” she said in an interview.

“This has nothing to do with religion. This has to do with age-appropriate material.”

Education Minister Sebastien Proulx told reporters the sexual-education teachings are important and amount to just a few hours per school year, as recommended by the World Health Organization.