The Minister of Education, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, yesterday doused the flames which were stoked following the controversy over the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), when he disclosed that government has not approved the document for use by teachers in basic schools.
“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 at the ministry in Accra.
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.
He told journalists that the subject is not a component of the curriculum for the year which is already in motion.
Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh maintained that the training for teachers for the rollout of the curriculum this year, did not include issues relating to CSE.
When asked about the CSE guideline document making rounds and purported to be coming from the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Minister says as far as he is concerned, there is no document emanating from his Ministry and none, so far as he is concerned, has been approved for use anywhere.
He has urged faith-based groups and other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to refrain from making comments on sensitive issues when they have limited.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), one of the proponents of the CSE programme, has said the guidelines – the Minister has denied knowledge of – was developed by Ghanaian education experts.
UNFPA Ghana representative, Niyi Ojuolape, has questioned the criticism of the introduction of the CSE into the basic curriculum.
Critics fear the course content of the CSE programme resonate with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) activism.
Many Ghanaians hold strong anti-LGBT sentiments.
