Page 73 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: Health and Physical Education, 2015 - revised

and dignity, and thrive in an environment in which diversity is honoured and accepted. Healthy relationships do not tolerate abusive, controlling, violent, bullying/harassing, or other inappropriate behaviours. To experience themselves as valued and connected members of an inclusive social environment, students need to be involved in healthy relationships with their peers, teachers, and other members of the school community.
Several provincial policies, programs, and initiatives, including Foundations for a Healthy School, the Equity and Inclusive Education strategy, and the Safe Schools strategy, are designed to foster caring and safe learning environments in the context of healthy and inclusive schools. These policies and initiatives promote positive learning and teaching environments that support the development of healthy relationships, encourage academic achievement, and help all students reach their full potential.
In its 2008 report, Shaping a Culture of Respect in Our Schools: Promoting Safe and Healthy Relationships, the Safe Schools Action Team confirmed “that the most effective way to enable all students to learn about healthy and respectful relationships is through the school curriculum” (p. 11). Teachers can promote this learning in a variety of ways.
For example, by giving students opportunities to apply critical thinking and problem- solving strategies and to address issues through group discussions, role play, case study analysis, and other means, they can help them develop and practise the skills they need for building healthy relationships. Co-curricular activities such as clubs, intramural
and interschool sports, and groups such as gay-straight alliances provide additional opportunities for the kind of interaction that helps students build healthy relationships. Teachers can also have a positive influence on students by modelling the behaviours, values, and skills that are needed to develop and sustain healthy relationships, and by taking advantage of “teachable moments” to address immediate relationship issues that may arise among students.
In health education, the study of healthy relationships includes learning about the effects and the prevention of all types of violence and bullying/harassment, whether face-to- face or online. Learning focuses on the prevention of behaviours that reflect sexism, racism, classism, ableism, sizeism, heterosexism, and homophobia and transphobia. Instances of harassment, such as teasing related to weight or appearance, identity, or ability, need to be addressed and can be related directly to concepts that students are learning in the HALE courses. As teachers strive to create an inclusive and respectful learning environment, it is also important that they examine and address their own biases.
The skills that are needed to build and support healthy relationships can be found throughout the health and physical education curriculum, and especially in the Healthy Active Living Education courses. Expectations that focus on the characteristics of healthy relationships and on ways of responding to challenges in relationships introduce students, in age-appropriate ways, to the knowledge and skills they will need to maintain healthy relationships throughout their lives.
In particular, students need to develop and practise effective interpersonal skills to support their ability to relate positively to others. The living skills component of the Healthy Active Living Education courses provides the basis for developing the communication, relationship, and social skills that are necessary for forming and maintaining healthy relationships.
SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROGRAM PLANNING
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