Stages Of Gender Education In Canadian Secondary Schools

The article deals with the issue of educational preconditions of gender education formation and development in Canadian secondary schools. On the basis of conducted scientific and pedagogical literature analysis it has been determined that gender education has undergone three main stages and is currently developing during its fourth, modern period. The research is focused on different aspects of gender education in Canadian schools, namely the objectives, principles, methods, content and means. The transformation dynamics of the aforementioned gender education dimensions at each stage has been examined. It has been concluded that the objectives of gender education in Canadian secondary schools have considerably evolved since 1960’s; the methods and means of teaching students about gender have become more versatile and relevant to the requirements of the present-day informational technology society; the content of gender education has extended its scope. The provision of gender education in secondary educational establishments in Canada has transformed from a haphazard “add women and stir” approach to a more consistent manner, which demands availability of certain policies (gender equity policy, anti-discrimination policy, safe schools policy) and codes of conduct in action at schools; integration of gender equity issues into different subject courses across the curriculum, as well as introducing separate fully-fledged courses, like “Women’s Studies”, “Men’s Studies”, “Gender Studies”.