Exemptions from sex education: Parental right or regulatory prerogative? 

Dr. Bruce Maxwell, University of Montreal 

April 2, 2026
10:30 – 12:00 pm
PCN 2012

Several educational jurisdictions around the world have introduced opt-out provisions for sex education to accommodate some parents’ religious and moral convictions. The provision of such exemptions is often framed as a matter of respect for parental rights. This paper examines whether governments are legally obliged to provide exemptions or whether opt-out for sex education are better understood as discretionary accommodations. Drawing on international statutory law and a selective review of European and U.S. case law, the analysis shows that courts have generally rejected challenges to mandatory sex education based on respect for the parental right to educational oversight. Legal doctrine indicates that compulsory sex education does not infringe this right when instruction is objective, neutral, and educationally justified. The paper concludes by outlining implications for rights-respecting curriculum design and pedagogy.

Bruce Maxwell is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Montreal. A former humanities teacher at the college level and ethicist by training, he teaches courses on education law, professional ethics, and the history of educational ideas. He has produced a number of written works on these topics including, most recently, the coauthored book Professional Ethics and Law in Education (Canadian Scholars Press, 2022) and, as editor, the six-volume series Foundations of Education (Bloomsbury, 2023).

Re-imagining Physical Education for Queer and Trans Youth 

Wren Bond in conversation with LJ Slovin

November 3, 2025
6:00 – 7:30 pm
SCRF 310

In this dialogue, we will take a closer look at the current realities for queer and trans students in Canadian physical education classes. While these spaces are meant to support learning, growth, and wellbeing, they often present unique challenges that affect not only how students show up and feel in class, but also their mental health, overall sense of belonging, and long-term relationship to sport and recreation. Together, we want to explore not only the barriers that exist, but also the possibilities—what PE can make possible when it becomes a space of belonging and affirmation.

Dr. LJ Slovin is an Assistant Professor in School of Child and Youth Care at University of Victoria. Slovin is the author of the book “Fierce, Fabulous and Fluid: How Trans High School Students Work at Gender Nonconformity,” based on a year-long ethnographic study conducted in a Canadian high school. 

Wren Bond is the Education and Corporate DEI Manager at Get REAL, a Canadian non-profit focused on combatting 2SLGBTQ+ discrimination, racism, and bullying in schools, summer camps, and workplaces.