Manitoba's new health and physical education curriculum will also include changes to how sexual education is taught in the province.

A spokesperson for Education Minister Tracy Schmidt confirmed to CBC News that sex ed is included in the health curriculum overhaul — which makes in-person phys-ed classes mandatory for all students in kindergarten to Grade 12 — proclaimed last week.

Starting in September, the new curriculum will roll out through a voluntary two-year pilot program. The current curriculum hasn't been updated in 25 years, the province noted.

In a related development, schmidt expressed more than two dozen schools across the province have volunteered to participate as of Thursday. Teachers and parents will be able to give feedback during the pilot.

The new health curriculum is forecasted to be fully implemented in the 2028-29 school year.

Schmidt's spokesperson expressed in a statement on Friday that the "renewed" curriculum "reflects the realities young people face today."

Furthermore, manitoba to make in-person phys ed mandatory for kindergarten to Grade 12 students

It includes "developmentally appropriate, factual and comprehensive information to make health-promoting decisions for positive outcomes related to relationships, safety, and well-being," the minister's spokesperson declared.

But with the health curriculum not yet available to the public, it isn't explicitly clear what changes the pilot will bring for sexual education in Manitoba. Schmidt previously mentioned the new curriculum will be published online at the start of the start of the school year.

Additionally, kaitlyn White, program coordinator with the Sexuality Education Resource Centre's (SERC) office in Brandon, mentioned the organization was consulted about the curriculum but they haven't seen it and they don't know what's been updated.

SERC hopes to see clearer and more inclusive discussions around sexual orientation, gender identity and diverse relationship dynamics, as opposed to "vague" health class discussions around respecting diversity, White stated.

More open discussions about these topics is a key part of developing more comprehensive sexuality education, White mentioned.

It is worth noting that "Comprehensive sexuality education has been proven to reduce things like gender-based violence, helps us build healthier and safer schools and communities — and it's quite literally suicide prevention," White expressed.

"Ultimately, I think that including this kind of material in the curriculum and mandating it will help us create safer and healthier communities."

Yet, the province's current sex ed programming "leaves so numerous of our students without relevant education" because it demonstrates a bias toward the identities of heterosexual and cisgender people, White stated.

In the broader context, "Research shows that when sexuality education only discusses cisgender, heterosexual, monogamous relationships, we're perpetuating disrespectful and unsafe environments for all students and all staff," White mentioned.

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Notably, two human rights complaints were filed by a number of parents in 2017, alleging that Manitoba's school curriculum discriminates against 2SLGBTQ+ families by not providing adequate learning materials that reflect the realities of numerous families in the province.

A Manitoba Human Rights Commission investigation found the curriculum was discriminatory, but the commission's board voted to dismiss the complaint. The human rights commission was ordered to reconsider the complaint by a Court of Queen's Bench justice in 2021.

CBC News reached out to the Manitoba Human Rights Commission about the status of the complaint but did not hear back.

Significantly, white expressed it's "unfortunate" that provincial officials didn't publicly announce that the sexual education curriculum was changing, unlike the physical education portion of the update. But they're keen to see the new curriculum when it's available online.

Opposition Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan mentioned his party is supportive of updating the curriculum to address issues students face in today's changing world.

On the other hand, he says he's concerned that the NDP authorities divulged sparse details shortly before classes start in September.

Meanwhile, "I would like to see what they're proposing," Khan noted in a Friday interview.

"We would be in support of updating the curriculum with consultation with teachers, with the appropriate people at the table," he remarked.

White is hopeful that the two-year pilot project will lead to more comprehensive health education for students across Manitoba — and soon.

On a related note, "We want to make sure that we're not sitting with the current material for another 25 plus years again," they noted.

Lauren Scott is a Winnipeg-based reporter with CBC Manitoba. They hold a master’s degree in computational and data journalism, and have previously worked for the Hamilton Spectator and The Canadian Press.