Education Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has said that the controversial Comprehensive Sexuality Education curriculum has not been approved for schools in the country.
“The Ministry would like to state categorically that…the curriculum framework for KG-P6 that has been approved by Cabinet from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment [NaCCA] for use in the development of school curricula and published on NaCCA website does not include anything on Comprehensive Sexuality Education,” the Minister said at a press conference on Tuesday.
At the press conference Tuesday, the Minister maintained the National Council for Curriculum Assessment has also not submitted to the Ministry any document relating to the CSE which has invoked strong public sentiments.
The government and United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) launched the CSE programme in February but the concerns have been raised about the potential for pupils to be given awareness of sexuality and LGBTQ issues at too early a stage.
He however, urged faith-based groups and other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to refrain from making comments on sensitive issues when they have limited. “The nation should rest assured that the government policy and the ministry will not compromise our societal values in the delivery of quality education.”
Groups like the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference have criticised the lack of consultation from the government in the matter.
Ghana and the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched the CSE programme this year in a bid to empower adolescents and young people to deepen their scope of existing activities to attain a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE).
Known as the “Our right, Our lives, Our Future (O³), CSE is supported by the governments of Sweden and Ireland.
It is being implemented in Ghana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe for effective delivery of quality comprehensive sexuality programmes.
By: Joseph Nii Ankrah
