The Saskatchewan government says schools must now seek parental consent when children under 16 want to change their names or pronouns.
Education Minister Dustin Duncan said Tuesday that the province wants to standardize pronoun and naming policies, as they varied from one school division to another.
A similar move earlier this year in New Brunswick was faced by intense opposition by LGBTQ groups.
“Parent and guardian involvement is critical in every student’s education,” Duncan said in a statement.
“Schools will continue to ensure safe learning environments where all students feel included, protected and respected.”
The province also said that parents and guardians must be informed of a school’s sexual education curriculum and given the option to decline their child’s participation.
The province recently had a review done of its sexual education curriculum after Planned Parenthood inadvertently took inappropriate sexual material into a high school.
Duncan said schools must pause any involvement with third-party organizations connected to sexual health education.
“Our government has heard the concerns raised by Saskatchewan parents about needing to be notified and included in their children’s education in these important areas,” he said.
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