The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has called on Ghanaians to reject claims that his administration is planning on introducing a program that does not befit the culture and traditions of the country into the society. According to the President, there shall be no Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) under his watch as the president of the country.
He stated that no such thing has been introduced saying his administration will never accept anything that is alien to the customs and norms of the country.
Speaking at the St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, President Akufo-Addo stated that there is a section of Ghanaians who do not like the Free SHS policy and hence will do everything to malign the policy adding that the rationale behind the introduction of the Free SHS policy is to expand accessibility and ensure quality education and not to be used as conduit to promote anti Ghanaian practices.
He said “there is only one thing I want to say, I think you people have heard within the past days, some discussions have been going on that I and my government want to teach our children somethings that are inappropriate. I brought the Free Senior High School to strengthen the country so that our children will all get the opportunity to learn and through the education, we will all see the progress we want for this country.”
“I didn’t bring it for our children to be taught inappropriate contents. So long as I sit on this big seat as the President of this nation, and as a Christian, it will never happen that I will agree for inappropriate things to be taught in our schools so please keep your cool, whatever they are saying has no truth in it”. He added.
Debate
The CSE issue has sparked heated debate in the country over the past few weeks having met stiff opposition from some Ghanaians.
In the heat of the debate, some religious bodies joined in the discussion and have called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to withdraw it from the system.
As expected, the NDC has tried to take advantage of the issue, with former President John Mahama leading the charge and attacking the government for the initiative.
The former President called on the government to withdraw the CSE with immediate effect.
RESPONSE
The Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, at a press conference, debunked the claims that GES had approved the controversial sexual education course at the basic school level.
He said neither the government nor education authorities had given the go-ahead for the introduction of the CSE as part of the curriculum to be used in basic schools in the next academic year.
According to him, “the so-called Comprehensive Sexuality Education is not part of the approved curriculum for usage for KG to Basic 6.”
$22 million
Despite the response, some members of the opposition party insisted that the government was introducing the program. Former Deputy Minister of Education, Okudzeto Ablakwa further alleged that the Swedish government had committed some $22 million into the CSE programme. A claim which has since been refuted by Chairman of the GES Council, Michael Nsowah.
CSE in 2015
In the heat of the discussion, it turned out that the CSE was introduced by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in 2015. A Spokesperson at the Ministry of Education, Vincent Ekow Asafuah, who first made the revelation to counter the NDC propaganda, said a CSE document was published in 2015 before the NPP assumed power.
According to him, the material was meant to serve as a source document for teachers on the CSE programme.
The 2015 document was signed by then Director-General of GES, Mr. Jacob Aworb-Nang Maabobr Kor, under then Minister of Education, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
Cabinet Rejection
Addressing the Muslim community at Kumasi in the Ashanti region ahead of his working tour to the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Ashanti Regions, the President said cabinet has rejected even the guidelines supporting the CSE. He stated that the rejection is on the premise that, the government cannot allow anything that is alien to the country’s customs and traditions into the society.
The President’s comments, reaffirms the position of the government that inappropriate contents will not be allowed to be taught in Ghanaian schools.
Source: Eveningmailgh.com
