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Proposed Comprehensive Sexuality Education Way to Introduce Homosexuality: Ghana Bishops

A section of Ghanaian Bishops - Conference opposed to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) syllabus

The proposed Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) syllabus that seeks to teach sexuality at basic education levels in Ghana is being opposed by the country’s Catholic bishops who are interpreting the move as a subtle way of introducing homosexuality to school-going children.

“It (CSE) is a subtle way to introduce this gay and lesbian thing to our children … It is unacceptable!” the President of Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), Archbishop Philip Naameh has been quoted by the local media.

Earlier this year, the government of Ghana and the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) launched CSE programme, which was looked at as a way of empowering young people and adolescents on matters sexuality.

“Some people are telling me the syllabus is a draft and therefore we (bishops) will like to appeal to people like you and parents to reject it outright and to make noise about it because this is not for us,” GCBC President has said.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has however refuted claims that the proposed CSE is an attempt to inculcate students into same sex matters.

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“The new Standard Based Curriculum being implemented has nothing to do with LGBT issues, masturbation or explicit display/labelling of intimate body parts,” reads GES statement seen by ACI Africa.

“GES wishes to assure the general public that no special sessions have been organized or will ever be organized by the GES to train students as advocates for sexual rights, let alone LGBT rights which are culturally, socially, legally, morally and religiously alien to Ghana,” GES has sought to clarify in a statement.

Beside Catholic Bishops, other religious leaders have also added their voices in opposing CSE in the West African country. 

According to myjoyonline, the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), an organisation made up of different church denominations in Ghana has described the introduction of CSE as “satanic” and called for its immediate withdrawal. 

Ghana’s Chief Imam Sheikh Dr. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu has also disputed the CSE saying it is “an attempt to hide behind educational reforms to brainwash the pupils with LGBT agenda.” 

More in Africa

Ghana is not the only African country that has experienced resistance while trying to introduce sexuality education in the curriculum.

In Kenya, attempts to introduce CSE were also refuted by religious leaders who claimed that the program contains provisions on abortion and use of contraceptives and that parents had not also been informed about its introduction to the syllabus.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.