The MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, feels the government is in a tough position following the developments in Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) saga.
According to him, the NPP government is not being truthful in the matter.
In a statement, the former Deputy Education Minister said the controversy will be tough for the government to navigate “as long as they refuse to be candid and transparent over the CSE saga.”
“Only sincere backtracking and a total full disclosure shall set Government free.”
The government and United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) launched the CSE programme in February 2019 but in the past week, concerns have been raised about the potential for pupils to be given awareness of sexuality and LGBTQ issues at too early a stage.
The Government cleared the air on the matter saying the approved curriculum framework for basic schools does not include CSE.
Since the government’s statement, observers have pointed out contradictions in the government’s earlier reception to CSE.
At the launch in February, the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh said:
“It is in this light that Ghana welcomes the ‘O3’ initiative and the Regional Acceleration program which seeks to accelerate and deepen the scope of existing CSE in six beneficiary countries.”
Amid the confusion, Mr. Ablakwa noted the government will also need to appease the Swedish government, which he claimed has already contributed money to the programme.
The governments of Sweden and Ireland are known to be sponsors of the programme.
“On one hand they need to calm down outraged Ghanaians who are running out of patience with the many official contradictions and untruths; on the other hand they need to convince the Swedish Government which has already committed $22million to Ghana and the other 5 CSE Program Acceleration Countries that Ghana will justify the use of their tax payer dollars especially when one of the key deliverables upon which our Government received the first tranche of money is a promise to ‘overcome social resistance and operational constraints.'”
In addition, Mr. Ablakwa also said the government had to deal with the United Nations Population Fund “in the face of current denials after agreeing with them to provide CSE technical support to the GES.”
Find below his full statement
This is going to be a tough manoeuvre for the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and more generally the Akufo-Addo government as long as they refuse to be candid and transparent over the CSE saga.
On one hand they need to calm down outraged Ghanaians who are running out of patience with the many official contradictions and untruths; on the other hand they need to convince the Swedish Government which has already committed $22million to Ghana and the other 5 CSE Program Acceleration Countries that Ghana will justify the use of their tax payer dollars especially when one of the key deliverables upon which our Government received the first tranche of money is a promise to “overcome social resistance and operational constraints.”
Also, what will our Government be telling UNFPA in the face of current denials after agreeing with them to provide CSE technical support to the GES?
Then, what happens to the contract signed with the special CSE Project Implementation Officer operating from the UNESCO Ghana office?
Already, Ghanaian teachers have exposed the Minister of Education with page 11 of the Teacher Resource Pack for Primary 1 – 6 which shamefully contradicts the Minister’s assertions in his signed statement that there is no inclusion of CSE.
The Ghanaian people are certainly more informed about this issue than Government assumes. Only sincere backtracking and a total full disclosure shall set Government free.
Very interesting days ahead.
