Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has weighed in on the ongoing debate about a manual developed for senior high school teachers that defines gender.
The manual states that the description of sex goes beyond the biological binary of male and female identified at birth, to include how one feels or perceives themselves. This has generated a controversy in the country, with NaCCA being accused of subtly smuggling in LGBTQ activities for learners.
Reacting to the development, the Minister noted that all references to sex in Ghana’s educational materials must strictly reflect a man or woman as determined at birth, stressing that there should be no ambiguity in the definition of sex, since it is biological.
The Minister was speaking at a training session in Tamale on the Ghanaian Youth Handbook and the rollout of the Guidance and Counselling framework, following public debate over the content in the said teaching and learning material.
Mr. Iddrisu said education literature must contain biological definitions of a man and woman as the sole references to the definition of gender.
He explained that such position is what reflects the true Ghanaian values, culture and social norms, which should guide how leaders are educated across the country.
According to the Minister, the clarification was necessary to address the concerns raised about the education materials that had generated controversy, and confirmed that such issues identified as the cause of debate have since been identified and corrected.
He stressed that going forward, all publications by the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service and other institutions within the education sector must respect what he described as the natural definition of sex.
The Tamale South lawmaker said it was important to focus on what is best for Ghanaian teachers and learners, stressing that the moral foundation of every society is hinged on the values upheld through education.
As part of steps to resolve the controversy, the Minister said he had directed the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) to take full responsibility for the matter and act with urgency.
He revealed that NaCCA had admitted that the definition of gender identity contained in the affected manual did not reflect Ghanaian values and norms.
Also, all 736 printed copies of the Year Two Physical Education and Health elective teacher manual for senior high schools had been recalled by NaCCA, adding that corrections had already been made to the online version of the curriculum and cautioned teachers not to rely on the hard copies.
Mr. Iddrisu further noted that the curriculum is dynamic and subject to regular updates to reflect approved standards. All revisions, he said, will be made available online through the official curriculum portal, where educators can access the current and approved versions for teaching.
The comments follow the heightened political debate over the matter, with the Minority in Parliament calling for the dismissal of the Director-General and Board Chair of NaCCA. They have accused them of negligence over the inclusion of LGBTQ-related content in the withdrawn teacher manual.
Meanwhile, NaCCA has since withdrawn all the printed manuals and released a revised version, which aligns with Ghanaian cultural values with a biological understanding of the subject.
