Some Faith-based organizations have expressed confidence in President Akufo-Addo’s assurances of not introducing Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in Ghana’s Education curriculum after he held meetings with them concerning the matter.
“We are taking him by his word and we believe it [CSE implementaion] will not happen,” they said to Citi News.
According to them, the president assured them of not introducing any subject in the education curriculum that could compromise the culture and moral values of Ghanaians.
Concerns were raised about the potential for pupils to be given awareness of sexuality and LGBTQ issues at too early a stage as part of CSE.
The President is currently touring the Bono, Ashanti and Eastern regions.
During the tour, the president held separate meetings with the leadership of the Muslim Community in the Ashanti Region as well as leadership of the Christian Community.
The faith-based organisations after their meetings with the president disclosed to the media that the discussions centred on issues related to Comprehensive Sexuality Education.
“There is no CSE. It is not his policy. It is not happening. So we trust our president,” one person said.
“We thank God that the stories about the introduction of this kind of sexuality education is not true so we thank him [Nana Akufo-Addo] for making it clear that as long as he remains President of Ghana, a thing like this will not happen in Ghana.”
What Nana Addo said
In his first comments on the matter in an address at the St. Cyprians Anglican Church in Kumasi on Sunday, President Akufo-Addo assured Ghanaians of his principles with regards to the CSE.
“Recently, there have been raging debates that Nana Addo government intends to introduce Comprehensive Sexuality Education as part of the curriculum for basic schools and the Free Senior High School Policy to indoctrinate the Ghanaian child. I didn’t introduce [the] policy for school children to be taught practices that are unacceptable and abominable to our cultural values. As I a Christian, it will never happen that I will preside over such a program. Let’s all keep calm because there is no truth in what is being speculated. I will rather plead with you to continually pray for me to gain the wisdom, good health and kindness, to govern this nation.”
The Government has said the approved curriculum framework for basic schools does not include CSE.
But this has been met with suspicion amid reports that as the government appeared to welcome the CSE when it was launched.
The government and United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) launched the CSE programme in February 2019