Saskatchewan Announces New School Policy Requiring Parental Permission for Changes to Child Name, Pronouns

Saskatchewan Education Minister Dustin Duncan speaks to the media after the budget is presented in Regina, on March 22, 2023. Heywood Yu/The Canadian Press

The Saskatchewan government has joined New Brunswick in announcing a new policy requiring parental permission for children under the age of 16 to change their preferred first name or pronouns at school.

In a letter to school board chairs posted by a parent on X, formerly known as Twitter, Minister of Education Dustin Duncan advised that parent involvement in their children’s education is “of the upmost importance” and states the new policy is effective immediately.

The announcement comes following reports that Planned Parenthood took inappropriate, graphic sexual material, specifically ABC sex cards, into a grade nine classroom, prompting parent outrage and a provincial review of the sex ed curriculum.

“The policy is intended to support students and parents and recognizes the important role that parents and guardians have in protecting and supporting their children as they grow and develop,” says the minister’s letter. It also advises board chairs that teachers are to inform parents about instruction on sexual health, which is to include start and end dates, objectives, scope and sequence of content, resources, and activities.

“Parents shall be given the opportunity to opt out of all or part of the Human Sexuality unit,” said Mr. Duncan, stating any withdrawals will be needed in writing.

“Respect of all students’ personal and family beliefs regarding family life and human sexuality will be the foremost objective,” continued Mr. Duncan. He said that the primary response to any student who raises a controversial issue “will be to refer that student to family to clarify personal and family beliefs,” and no further counsel to a child will be offered or considered unless the parent provides express, written consent.

Mr. Duncan further announced that he has directed the Ministry of Education to review Health Education curriculum and approved or recommended resources to ensure alignment with curriculum outcomes, “as well as age and overall appropriateness for use in a school setting.” The directive will be in place while the review is completed.

The education ministry will be amended to include “clear direction” if third-party agencies are involved in delivering instruction in sexual health, continued Mr. Duncan. The boards have been instructed to “immediately cease involvement with any third-party organization connected to Sexual Health Education, including ... the SOGI 1 2 3 Program,” he stated.

On Aug. 22, Mr. Duncan provided further details, stating the province is standardizing policies regarding pronouns and naming as these vary between school divisions, and that complaints had been made by some parents and teachers.

There was immediate opposition to the new policy announcement, with Harini Sivalingam, director of the equality program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, suggesting “unsupportive families have kicked their kids out of the house or resorted to physical violence,” and accusing the province of “shredding the rights of students.”

The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour said it opposed the policy, stating, “Outing children as part of a political gamble is violent and despicable.”

Mr. Duncan responded, stating that school divisions require parental consent for a half-day field trip. “I think we need to be treating this issue with the same amount of seriousness. My view is the default position can’t be ‘how do we keep this from the kids’ parents.’ The default position needs to be how do we provide that student with the support so that they are comfortable with the parents knowing that decision that they want to make,” the minister told reporters.

The minister said the government would be working with school divisions to “provide clarity” as to what the policy would look like in practice.

Other Provinces

At a news conference in Manitoba on Aug. 17, Progressive Conservative Premier Heather Stefanson announced her party would be proceeding with an updated policy on parental rights if reelected in just under two months.

“You raised them and nurtured them. So who better than you—as parents—to know what’s best for your child as you send them off to school?” said Ms. Stefanson.

She indicated that a reelected PC government would “formalize and enhance rights for parents and guardians in the Public Schools Act.” The premier said that would include the right for parents to be involved in cases of alleged bullying, children’s behavioural changes, and if a child discloses a desire to be recognized by a different gender at school.

Ms. Stefanson said her party would consult with parents on the proposed new rights and “parents will decide,” because “a lot has changed in 30 years.”

Saskatchewan’s policy announcement comes after a similar policy was implemented by New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs.

On June 8, Bill Hogan, New Brunswick’s education minister, announced that as of July 1, students under the age of 16 cannot change their names or pronouns in school without parental consent. The new policy requires the school to talk to students about contacting their parents on the issue, or directing the student to a mental health professional to “work with them in the development of a plan to speak with their parents if and when they are ready to do so.”

“We believe that it’s fundamentally wrong to not share this information with the parents if we are using [a student’s preferred name] on a daily basis,” Mr. Hogan said. “If we are using it on a daily basis, it puts teachers in a really challenging position.”

Mr. Higgs said the province had to find a solution “where we do not exclude parents in their child’s life.” He said the policy is “taking a strong position for families” and standing up for parents.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.