From the editor: For those who came to this page from the front page of the Globe, the answer to "Can you spot the world leader in this photo?" is:

Bottom row, third from the left, next to the teacher...

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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Even though I hate them, I just ordered a whole bunch of school pictures of my kids. Again.

One thing I love about university is that there is no longer a picture day. My two oldest will never again bring home that huge envelope with the small strip of pictures glued to the side.

I want to meet the kid whose parents buy the deluxe package. You know, that package which includes a 36 by 42, ten 5 by 7's, fifty 3 by 5's and 200 mini postage stamp sized pictures. That's got to be one photogenic kid.

I always tick off the cheapest box. The one that comes with only two teeny pictures, and a vow to torch the negatives.

Or maybe it's just my kids who suddenly forget how to smile like a normal person, and their hair gets all independent and decides to look too long and even a weird colour. Just for the their school photos, of course.

"Did you make that face on purpose?" I asked my son David last year.

Apparently it's a crime to look happy in public when you're in grade seven.

"What do you mean, on purpose?" said David, peering more closely at the strip of three sample shots. "That's my face. Do you want me to go to the retake?"

Ah, the 'retake.' Every mother's dream. But the reality is, I'm almost positive they won't do a reshoot for stuff like, "my kid just looks weird." Apparently it has to be something a little more concrete.

Like their eyes being closed in every single shot. Or half the kid's face is missing. And he actually, you know, has a whole face in the real world. Though they might demand proof of this since a retake is a pretty rare and special event.

So unless it's technically somehow the photographer's fault, I guess, they won't redo a photo session just because a mother insists that her kid is much better looking than that. And doesn't normally look like he's about to burst into tears. Really.

I have tons of great pictures of my kids from our summer vacations, Christmas, birthday parties, and all kinds of important events. But unless it's me taking the picture, somehow they never look as good as I know they can.

This might have something to do with the fact that as their mother, I can tell them stuff like, "Stop smiling like somebody's poking you in the back with a fork!"and "Are we going to have to stand here all day?

Because you know I will!"

I think school photographers should invite parents to attend the picture taking session. Then we could stand to the side and make helpful suggestions. You know, stuff like, "Are you trying to look like a weirdo? Smile at the man, for heaven's sake! Sit UP! Sit DOWN!"

Who else but a parent can say, "For god's sake, WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND TRY TO LOOK HAPPY FOR TEN LOUSY SECONDS!"

My two youngest never comb their hair. But last year they decided to make their hair look 'fancy' for Picture Day, which meant wetting a comb and running it through their hair until it was completely slicked back.

They both ended up looking like farmers on market day from the 18th century.

I did try explaining to my sons that maybe it wasn't the look they should be going for. And how just once I'd like to get professional pictures that are nice enough to send to my sisters and grandparents.

But no, it's their body, their hair, their choice, blah, blah. This generation has become way too empowered.

My two little nerds got on the school bus that morning, so chirpy and confident in their handsome hair-dos they even said, "Good morning," in unison like two little Stepford children, to their startled looking school bus driver.

Even though I rarely like any of my kids' school pictures, I still always agonize over what to do when it comes time to order them, though.

It feels wrong not to get at least a couple of copies. It means having a record of what they looked like, each school year, when they sat down in front of a total stranger for ten seconds as he took their picture.

I always love the class pictures, though. The one where the teachers are standing with the kids. David and Michael will point to every single kid's face in the picture, explaining and sharing every single fact they know about that child.

"He sits three seats down from me on the bus. He's really nice. One time he said my bread looked funny at lunch time."

I can always tell which girl David has a crush on in his class, as it's always the one girl in the class picture whose name he somehow can't remember.

"Who is that, David?" I'll ask, forgetting for a second why he hasn't said anything about her yet. Then when his face suddenly turns beat red and he says, "Uh, I don't know who that is," I always remember. Oh yeah, that's the one he likes. Really likes.

And why can't these school photographers at least have a comb or brush at their sittings? Then he could hand it over to those kids who really need it. Come to think of it, maybe some spare clothing would help too.

That way, if a kid is wearing the kind of t-shirt that says "my mother forgot today was Picture Day," the photographer could say, "Hey, wanna borrow this?"

We all have those same Wal-mart Christmas pictures from every year with the same backgrounds, so what's wrong with all the kids having the same t-shirt on in their school photos?

Actually, forget back up clothes or offering them a comb or hair brush.

I think school photographers should bring some live models with them.

Some perfect looking kid who can sit in for the rest of our children.

A couple of years ago, halfway through Grade 12, my two oldest switched high schools. Thanks to a family move which took us out of their former high school area, they went from a school with less than 800 students to one with over 1,800.

Although it was a bit of a culture shock, within a few days at the new school, they quickly adapted and adjusted. They both learned which hallways and staircases to avoid, which washrooms were safe, and which cafeteria tables they should sit at. And which one's they shouldn't.

But sometimes, as some students in a Burlington high school learned last month, there is no way to avoid a confrontation or being targeted at school. It doesn't matter which hallway or staircase you take, or which cafeteria table you sit at. Sometimes you can find yourself in a situation that is completely beyond your control.

It's every parent's nightmare.

Last month, five Burlington teenagers, on their first day of Grade 9, were subjected to a hazing ritual known as "getting gummered." They were on their way home from school when two cars pulled up, filled with Grade 11 and 12 students. After ordering the Grade 9s into an isolated area, the older students beat them with wooden paddles. And then, using markers, they drew nines on their faces.

The article from the Globe and Mail reports that the Grade 9 students weren't hospitalized, but that they were beaten hard enough to produce bruises. Two of the older students were in police custody the next day, facing charges of assault with a weapon.

In the article, a Grade 11 student who attends the school said that it happens every year. He also claimed it's "not a big deal" to the student body.

Hmmm. Maybe not a big deal to those students whom, like him apparently, have never been the target of one of those bullying scenarios at public school. But perhaps a bigger deal to those Grade 9 students who were forced, against their will, to participate in a degrading and physically painful 'ritual.'

My two oldest are now in their second year of university. Last September, when they were starting their first year, I was concerned about the possibility of hazing. But since I associate university hazing mainly with sports teams and out-of-control drinking games, I assumed it was something that could mostly be avoided.

In other words, I considered it within my kids' control whether or not to participate.

But those Grade 9 students were just walking home from school. They certainly didn't choose to participate in what happened next. They had no control.

I've been thinking about those Grade 9 kids lately, wondering if they - and their parents - can ever feel that high school is a safe place again after what happened to them. Something like this can ruin an entire school year.

How do we prevent something like this from occurring again in the future? Is it even realistic to hope that we can?

By coming forward and involving the police, those Grade 9 students and their parents have already taken the first step. They refused to pretend or to go along with the idea that what happened to them is just part of some 'harmless school tradition.' Or rite of passage.

For those who might try to kid themselves by thinking that what happened to those students in Burlington last month was a rare event, unlikely to happen again, don't. It already has.

A story from the CBC reports 25 students were suspended from a high school in Manitoba last month. Another story reports 17 students in Edmonton expelled for hazing some younger students in Grade 10. I'm sure there will be more.

Is hazing now spreading from the university environment to high school? Or was it there all along and we're just now seeing more students coming forward to report on their attackers?

Although only a small percentage of those who get involved in these kinds of attacks ever get charged, fortunately, this might soon change.

"This is something that can't be tolerated," said Detective Jeff Hill of Halton Regional Police to the Globe and Mail in an earlier interview.

"We have to send a message. Parents want to know that their kids are safe."

Officers investigating the Burlington case made it clear that they will treat future incidents harshly: "Hazing is socially unacceptable," Det. Hill said. "Criminal charges are the right response. Students need to feel secure."

I can't help but wonder and worry about those victims who don't come forward. Those kids who keep silent about the abuse and humiliation they felt at the hands of their fellow (and usually older) students. They need to feel secure, too.

All of our kids do.

When it comes to future university applications, good grades and extracurricular activities might not be the only filters.

According to Torben Drewes, an economist at Trent University, universities might have to start thinking of men as a 'disadvantaged group' when it comes to post-secondary education.

Meaning a third filter: gender.

The university gender gap is growing. The Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada reports that in 2006, 56 per cent of Canadian undergraduates were women. Compare this number to the early 1970s, when more than two-thirds of university graduates in their mid-20s were men.

So why are men now so heavily outnumbered on campus? In a study released earlier this week, "The University Gender Gap: The Role of High School Grades," Drewes suggests a simple answer: girls study more than boys. They get better high-school marks, which in turn gets them into university.

Makes sense, right? If you study hard, the payoff includes higher marks and entry into university. But who needs a study to tell us that?

Interestingly, according to the study, the fact that girls study more accounts for just under half of the difference between male and female grades. Maybe the answer isn't so simple after all.

The other half, Drewes explains, is due to girls' "greater efficiency in converting a given amount of study time into a grade." Meaning, girls don't just study more. They also study better.

So what, if anything, should universities be doing about this? Should they lower admission criteria for male applicants? Is it even a university's responsibility to maintain a gender balance?

Effort isn't the only factor. So how are girls studying 'better'? In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Drewes said something in the high school system "rewards girls more than boys." However, that doesn't mean he's in favour of creating lower university entry standards for males. "That seems wrong."

I have five children, one girl and four boys. Interestingly, Jenny, my oldest, has always had the highest marks among my five kids. Of course, her three youngest brothers are only 4, 11, and 13. But even comparing how she did at their ages and grades, her marks were always higher.

Why?

I always assumed it's because Jenny has an incredible work ethic. She's a well-organized student who makes school and homework a priority. During her years in public school, unlike her younger brothers, I never had to remind her to do her homework, or lecture her about studying harder.

I've never considered her gender as a possible factor in her academic success.

The study concluded that the difference between male and female grades can be explained by girls not only studying more, but also studying more efficiently than boys. Makes sense to me.

Sounds like our girls can teach the boys a thing or two.

September means I have to pack school lunches, wake up five little zombies each morning, and make sure everybody is out the door on time.

It might not be the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, but I admit, there are some definite reasons to embrace back-to-school. Here are my top five:

# 5: No more having to hear, "Mom, I'm bored."

Bored? In the middle of summer vacation? Awww, poor you. Let me list every form of entertainment that I can think of:

How about cutting the grass?

Washing the kitchen floor?

Maybe cleaning the bathroom?

My two oldest learned years ago that announcing they're 'bored' in the middle of the summer isn't a smart thing to share with me. My three youngest are finally learning that I consider it a full-blown battle cry to give them more chores to do.

# 4: Every single one of my kids are now in school.

My oldest is 19, into her second year of university, and my youngest is four. Thanks to that age spread, there's always been at least one kid at home, too young to start school. But this September, with Sam starting kindergarten, every single one of my five children are attending school. At the same time. Unbelievable.

# 3: The silence. The beautiful sound of complete and utter silence.

I do a lot of my work from home. This means I've spent years trying to edit and produce short radio docs in my home office. But just try sounding professional on the phone with a "Wipe my bum, please!" being shouted by your two- or three-year-old in the background.

There's only one person in the house. Me.

# 2: My four-year-old has finally stopped asking me the same question, over and over again.

For the entire summer vacation, every couple of days, my four-year-old has eagerly asked me the same question. Again. And again. And again.

"When do I start school?"

Soon, Sam, soon.

"How soon?"

Uh, in a couple more weeks.

"How many sleeps?"

In 14 more sleeps, Sam.

"Is that soon?"

Yup, that's pretty soon.

"How soon?"

Go ask your father.

# 1: My 13-year-old will finally stop asking me the same question, over and over again.

For the entire summer vacation, every couple of weeks, my 13-year-old has asked the same question as his younger brother. Except David wasn't looking for the same answer.

When he asked me the night before the first day of school, "How soon do we start school?" I said, "Really soon. Tomorrow."

Sam was the only one pumping his fist in the air.

In less than a month, my two oldest are starting their second year at the University of Waterloo. But unlike my three youngest, who are still in public school, their professors didn't provide a list of important school supplies. I don't have to buy them a new pack of pencil crayons, a geometry set, or some markers.

Uh, come to think of it, I don't have to buy them anything. Now they buy their own school supplies.

The whole back-to-school phase is completely different for university-aged children. I don't have to buy them indoor and outdoor shoes. I also don't have to write their names on the back of their jackets, or inside their lunch bags.

I don't have to replace their ratty book bags every year. For one thing, they don't use book bags anymore. Apparently, book bags are only for public school and first-year university students. Any self-respecting university student quickly learns to use a messenger bag. According to my son, "It's more compact. You can stuff it under your seat during a lecture, and it doesn't get in the way on the bus."

Every year someone needs a book bag replaced. There's a hole in the bottom, one of the straps are ripped, or the zipper is stuck. Or the zipper has disappeared entirely. Lunch bags rarely last more than a year, either.

But for some reason, school supplies have a longer life span on a university campus. My two oldest are using the same messenger bags they did last year. All the zippers and straps are intact. They're using the same pencil cases and calculators, and their lunch bags haven't gone AWOL.

The most expensive part of back-to-school shopping for my three youngest isn't the binders, duotangs, notebooks or pencils. It's the clothing.

Every year they go through the August Growth Spurt. Overnight, their t-shirts, jeans and pants stop fitting. Their shoes (indoor and outdoor) are a couple sizes too small. Not to mention there's often a gap, or at least a flap, where the big toe rests.

None of that is a problem for my two oldest. They don't grow four and a half inches over the summer anymore, outgrowing their entire wardrobe.

Come August, their jeans and t-shirts still fit. Their shoes are also usually in good shape as well.

Of course, there are certain expenses that are unique to university.

Those math and science textbooks that were handed out for free in high school? Suddenly they cost hundreds of dollars. And for students in the sciences, back-to-school shopping often includes goggles and lab coats.

And unlike those lists mailed or handed out in public school, the list from university is more of a 'suggestion' of supplies you might want to consider having for each course. In fact, some text books are even indicated as being optional. My two oldest research the necessity of each item before they actually purchase it. They find out which books will be used during the course and which are 'nice to have.' They don't spend their hard earned cash on the nice to have books. Ever.

Even if I were in charge of buying the back-to-school supplies for my two oldest, which fortunately I'm not, I don't even know what the heck some of the items on the list are.

Like 'clickers.'

I overheard my daughter saying she'll have to buy a 'clicker' from the school bookstore before they run out. The only 'clicker' I was aware of is the one we used a few years ago, to train our dog to stop barking at everyone who came to our front door.

Assuming they aren't just messing with me, my two oldest assured me that the clicker they need won't be teaching them about not barking at strangers. Apparently it'll somehow be used for multiple choice quizzes given during a lecture.

Sometimes my two oldest need help paying for some of the more expensive items on their back-to-school lists, and we're happy to help them. Of course, just because my two oldest claim something on their list is absolutely essential, doesn't mean they'll necessarily get it.

No matter how much they insist they really need a car for second year.

Tin, plastic, cardboard, paper. It's become a reflex. Whenever I empty a glass jar, or one of the kids finish a box of cereal, we wouldn't even think about pitching it into the garbage. Recycling has become ingrained in our daily routine.

It's hard to believe it hasn't always been that way. For my family, it all started in the schools.

It was my daughter's Grade 2 teacher, Sandy Winchester, who more than a decade ago helped transform an entire community into a greener place.

Thanks to its naturalization project, Rothwell-Osnabruck Public School in Ingleside was awarded the Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds Award of Excellence for 2002. Flower beds, natural pathways, dozens of trees and even an outdoor fitness center turned the school's grounds into a showcase for the environment.

But perhaps even more important than the newly planted trees and bushes, this teacher created an entire generation of environmentally-conscious students. Who in turn, started educating their parents about how to go green, as well.

My daughter is now headed into her second year of university. But she still remembers that Grade 2 teacher, and the lessons she learned about how each of us need to do our part to help save the planet.

"That egg carton is recyclable, you know," my then-seven-year-old daughter would be quick to remind me and her dad. "And Mrs. Winchester says you can just cut the bottom out of that pizza box, and then you can recycle it."

More than ten years later, Grade 8 students from my 13-year-old son's school in Kitchener are preparing a Wetland Appreciation event for October 17th.

Along with Grade 8 teacher Duane Heide, and other volunteers from the community, my son will be helping to clean up the wetlands. The group will also learn how to preserve the 20-hectare natural area for the geese, ducks, barn swallows, and even two Great Egrets, which are on the threatened species list.

"It really is a gem in the middle of our community," says Duane Heide.

For this generation of students, it seems completely normal for their teachers to get involved with these kinds of events. And to encourage their students to volunteer as well.

In addition to their ABCs, today's students are learning how to minimize their ecological footprint.

One pizza box at a time.

Every school year there's a new flu season for parents to contend with.

I'm already thinking about all the lovely germs my four-year-old, about to start school for the first time this fall, is bound to bring home with him in about six weeks.

But this September we won't be dealing with just your average, run-of-the-mill, back-to-school cold or some sniffles. Most public-health experts believe there will be a second attack from the H1N1 virus this fall.

HN1N, also known as Swine Flu, is predicted to hit full-force by this September, and apparently the virus targets young adults - the Globe and Mail reported that the median age of those infected in Canada is only 18.

If the H1N1 virus is going to sweep across the country, university campuses are an obvious pit stop for the Swine Flu. Aside from the fact that it seems to target university-aged young adults, come September, there are going to be thousands of students packed into lecture halls, studying together in the library, and eating in the cafeteria. The perfect targets.

Its already been declared a pandemic. H1N1 is being compared to the 1918 Spanish Flu. Even if that's an exaggeration, the virus is still a scary reality. What if this next wave, about to strike just as our children are headed back to school, turns out to be more severe? Even deadly?

So how are university students going to be affected? Namely, what's going to happen to students who contract the Swine Flu? And what about those students in residence?

And how are universities preparing for this threat? What are universities doing to protect our children? What can parents do?

My two oldest have already taken some steps to minimize their exposure.

They'll be doing two of their electives by distance education and, with the exception of two labs - where their physical presence is required - their other courses could easily be done by podcast if necessary.

They'll be playing it by ear, waiting to see how big the threat is once they get back on campus this September.

Some universities, such as McGill, are readying their health clinics to isolate their very sick students. McGill is considering help lines so that less serious cases can avoid entering the clinics altogether.

Sports and extracurriculars could get the axe if the flu spreads quickly enough.

The University of Western Ontario has armed itself with masks, gloves and hand sanitizers. Dalhousie University has backup staff ready for the school year.

It's not hard to work yourself into a full-blown panic.

So what the heck is an effective strategy? Keeping all our kids home from school? Wearing a bio-hazard suit 24/7? In a crowded school system, is good cough-and hand-hygiene etiquette going to be enough?

Every teacher I spoke to said basically the same thing: Kids need to wash their hands.

"Not too long ago it was MRSA staph, now it's Swine Flu. And frankly, a lot of students aren't taught simple hygiene procedures at home," says Pam, a middle-school teacher.

My two oldest are well-versed in simple hygiene procedures. When they head back to school this September, they plan to have a bottle of hand sanitizer handy at all times. But it doesn't matter how germ-aware my two oldest are. The deciding factor: my four-year-old. The weakest link of the family. With Typohoid Mary sitting across the kitchen table, hand washing and hygiene habits could be completely undermined.

Most of the parents I spoke with seem calm. Some expressed concerns about the upcoming outbreak, but no one was overly panicked.

"Even though I have my sometimes laughable 'doomsday pantry' and I'm fairly disaster prepared in general, my trend toward worrying about the fall seems to be 'wait and see' for now," says Sam Jones, a parent of a high school student.

Like most of the parents I spoke with, she has tried to strike a balance between making her son aware of the necessity of proper hygiene technique, without causing him undo stress. But her son is involved in a lot of contact sports, and sharing of equipment, so she wants to ensure he does take some steps to minimize his risk.

"I stressed hand washing and trying to stay away from anyone noticeably sick. I feel like I've prepared him enough without causing him stress.

He doesn't seem worried, but he is aware."

But if she ever suspects her son isn't taking the threat seriously enough, she won't hesitate to make sure her son gets the message.

"I will say though with great conviction that if I come to the point where I think making him nervous will contribute to his safety - in the event that things are getting ominous - I have no qualms about turning up the fear-mongering."

Another parent, with a daughter starting Grade 2, says it's harder to keep younger kids protected from the virus.

"Sometimes I really worry about it. If your kid's in an older grade when this kind of thing hits, it's easier to keep them healthy and safe. A seven-year-old doesn't have the strongest immune system, and can't understand the importance of basic hygiene. Little kids do stupid stuff and don't even know how dangerous it is. What if someone sneezes on her in class?"

Words like "pandemic" and "high-risk category" might sound off alarm bells, but how serious is the threat?

Donald Low, chief microbiologist at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, says that the Swine Flu continues to be a relatively mild virus.

And, unlike back in 1918, today we have antiviral drugs and antibiotics to treat influenza infections and secondary cases of pneumonia.

But still, as a parent of five school-aged children, I know I'll be watching, and still feeling a little anxious, as it all begins to unfold over the next six weeks.

(Editor: Information about what universities are doing to prepare for a possible H1N1 onslaught in the fall)

My two oldest recently finished their course selections for next semester. It'll be their second year at the University of Waterloo.

They knew exactly which professors they wanted, which professors are known for giving unfair exams, and which ones to avoid at all costs.

They knew which professors give interesting, engaging lectures. And which professors don't.

They knew all this before even setting foot in the classroom.

Thanks to websites like ratemyprofessors.com and birdcourses.com, there isn't as much trial-and-error in choosing university courses these days.

On the first day of classes, there are very few surprises.

But if a student decides later that they've somehow made a bad choice during course selections, there's a simple solution. Drop the course. Swap it out for a different class.

Elementary school is a completely different story. There isn't any screening-out process. Even if ratemykindergartenteacher.com existed, students and their parents have little control over selecting their teacher - the person who has complete control over a significant portion of their day, for ten months straight.

Of course, high schools students can always turn to ratemyteachers.com. There are even some elementary school teachers listed on the site.

Back in high school, my two oldest had a serious problem with one of their teachers. The class was a prerequisite for the undergraduate program they both hoped to eventually apply to so they couldn't drop or change out of her class. When they looked her up on ratemyteacher.com, it was oddly validating to see four pages worth of negative comments and concerns posted by previous students and their parents.

And of course, anonymous comments posted on the internet are a pretty reliable source of information, right?

In the public high school system, however, there's usually no way to reverse thrusters and swap classes at the last second, regardless of a teacher's reputation. Short of moving to a new school district, there's no avoiding that teacher.

Well, at least not officially.

Some schools actually post a student's classroom placement for next year on the final report cards. Which means parents can start campaigning and pestering their child's school principal immediately if they don't like the name they see, or don't see, in their child's future.

Come to think of it, maybe that's why my children's current school doesn't share that information until three days before school starts again in September.

My four-year-old son is starting kindergarten this September. My next door neighbour warned me about one of the teachers, saying I should make sure my son doesn't get Mrs. 'Smith.'

"She's really mean," said my neighbour. "Try and get Mr. 'Jones' instead. He's very nice and really loves kids."

I admit, I didn't feel comfortable calling the school principal to ask for a specific teacher, based on some vague gossip from my neighbour.

Thankfully, with eight kindergarten teachers at the school, the odds are with us.

If not, we can always move.

My 13-year-old son David's entire grade seven class was gathered in the gym when the health nurse broke the news. "Most of you have contracted a sexually transmitted disease." Only the condom-users and the abstinent had been spared.

Just before entering the gym, every student in the class had been handed a card. Although they didn't know it at the time, that small piece of cardboard dictated if they had had unprotected sex, oral sex, were abstinent, used a condom, or had an STD.

After crowding into the gym, the students were told to gather signatures from two other students, one boy and one girl. And then from a third person they didn't know.

Then the health nurse asked everyone with 'D' written on their cards to please stand up. After informing them that they had an STD, the nurse asked anyone who had one of these students' signatures to also stand.

A quarter of the class was now standing. Anyone who had one of their signatures was also asked to stand up. Soon, nobody was seated anymore.

Six degrees of separation. The health class edition.

But the nurse wasn't finished yet. "If you have 'A' written on your card, you're abstinent and you can sit down. If you have 'C' written on your card, you used a condom. You can also sit down." Several students had 'CB' written on their card, which meant their condoms had broken.

They had to remain standing. Only four students were now seated.

Everybody else had contracted an STD. It was a powerful message, and one that David will never forget.

"I was so glad I'd been wearing a condom!" joked my 13-year-old later, as he shared his lesson in the gym with the rest of the family.

My husband and I speak openly about sexuality with all of our children.

This includes discussions about condoms, STDs, and, yes, also abstinence as a genuine option. But I still appreciate and welcome my kids receiving additional education on all of those issues while at school.

My son David was hugely impressed by the vivid message demonstrated that day in the school gym. Yes, he's heard his father and me explain that sometimes condoms can break. And the value of waiting until you're in a committed relationship before engaging in sex.

But that lesson in the gym really helped my son connect the dots. And in a way he might not have by just listening to me or his father claim how easily an STD can be spread around.

Yet it's exactly the kind of lesson that could end up being targeted by new legislation in Alberta.

Like parents everywhere else in Canada, whether official or not, Alberta parents already had the option to pull their children out of classes on sexual orientation. Or religion. Or just about anything else they find offensive. But thanks to this new legislation, any lesson that mentions religion, human sexuality or sexual orientation is given a huge red flag: Parents must first receive advance written notice, or the school board risks facing a human rights complaint.

Does this mean the next time a kid asks the teacher if he can get his girlfriend pregnant if it's their first time having sex, the teacher risks a human rights complaint if he or she actually dares to answer the question?

Perhaps not. But I would hate to be that first teacher on the front line to test the boundaries of the new legislation.

Although I pride myself on being the kind of parent whose children can ask me anything, I was shocked by what shocked my son that day in the gym. I asked him over dinner what, if anything, surprised him in health class.

"One of the movies we watched said a girl can get pregnant the first time she has sex!" said David.

I've actually made a point of sharing that particular fact many times over the years with all of my kids. Apparently, some things can't be repeated too many times.

I can't help but wonder: What are we afraid of as parents? That our belief system and personal values - those values we've been teaching and preaching to our children all these years - can't risk any scrutiny? That our children are so malleable, simply exposing them to alternative beliefs will somehow erode our own? Don't we want to raise a generation of critical thinkers? Are we afraid that teachers will do it 'better'?

Or worse, make it obvious that we, as parents, have failed our children in such a crucial way?

I haven't always agreed with some of the things my children have been taught at school. But some of those lessons have led to some of the most important discussions and debates at home that we've ever had.

Bill 44 makes it possible for parents to file human rights complaints against teachers and school districts in Alberta. This legislation is being heralded as an affirmation of the right of parents to be the primary educators of their children on subjects that deal with religion and sexuality. In other words, the really sensitive stuff, since it deals directly with values and personal beliefs.

But it means a parent's right to keep their child ignorant about sexuality is also now enshrined in law.

(Editor: Read the previous news story on this issue.)