Education Minister, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh
The Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) which has gained currency the past few weeks was introduced in the Ghanaian education curriculum in 2015 by the Mahama-led administration, Education Minister Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, has said in Kumasi.
The Minister said while interacting with media men in Kumasi last Friday that ex-President John Mahama and top Ghanaian educationists including Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang had brought the Comprehensive Sexuality education to Ghana by publishing a book – ADOLESCENT SEXUAL REPODUCTIVE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT as a Source Book for Teachers.
It was designed to provide teachers accurate information on adolescent Reproduction Health (ASRH).
The book prefaced by Mr. Jacob A. M. Kor, then Director General of the Ghana Education Service, touted the need for comprehensive education on sexuality and sexual behaviour and detailed lesbianism, gayism and fondling in some parts.
The book is said to be part of efforts by the GES to prepare adolescents aged between 10 and 19 to become healthy and responsible adults as a result of which the National Population Policy (1994), the adolescent Reproduction Health Policy (2000) were revised along the MOE Strategic Plan (2010-2030), a revised curriculum with integrated sexuality education to roll out from KG to SHS in all schools across the country.
“If it (CSE) is a Comprehensive “Satanic” education, it was Mr. Mahama and Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang who brought the Satan to Ghana”, Dr. Opoku Prempeh who is also the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South said to buttress his point and pointed at a booklet “A handout for Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Teacher Participant as well.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh said the government has not approved the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) document for use by teachers in basic schools.
He emphasized 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 explained that 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 and that t 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.
The Education Minister referred to a correspondence between the GES and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in April 2019 stating the position of GES which said that “ in order for the guidelines to be accepted for use in GES, the phrase ‘ within acceptable cultural values and norms in the Ghanaian society’ should be added to the third objective on page 3”.
By this, the GES was ensuring that education given to schools children will enable them make informed decisions without any negative influence.
The Minister accused Mr. Mahama, under whose tenure the Curriculum was revised to deal with contemporary issues which included CSE, of masterminding the attack on the Ministry of Education unduly.
According to him, former president Mahama was the most resourced for leadership and yet turned out to be the most failed leader in the country.
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