SHS Curriculum Scandal: CDM faults Ministry of Education, NaCCA and GES

Following the controversies that have surrounded the recent issue of a new curriculum for senior high schools having a contentious definition for gender, the Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM) has condemned some key state education institutions over the inclusion of the identity concept in the Senior High School (SHS) Physical Education and Health Teacher’s Manual for Year Two.

According to the organisation, the move is a breach of trust between the state and Ghanaians, noting that the decision was taken without consultation with parents, religious bodies, or traditional authorities.

“The Ministry of Education cannot disclaim responsibility for materials circulated under its authority. Silence amid public outrage amounts to acquiescence,” the CDM stated.

The group further accused the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) of either failing in its mandate or deliberately evading responsibility, while the Ghana Education Service (GES) has been criticised for disseminating the materials nationwide without due oversight.

According to CDM, the manual’s definition of gender identity as “a person’s deeply felt internal experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth” undermines the male–female binary that forms the foundation of Ghanaian society.

The organisation warned that such ideological insertions threaten the moral and cultural fabric of the country.

Highlighting the gravity of the matter, CDM called for immediate action, urging the withdrawal of all teaching materials that introduce or promote LGBTQ-related concepts in SHSs.

The group also demanded full accountability from the Ministry of Education, NaCCA, and GES for the oversight failures that allowed the materials to reach classrooms.

“The dissemination of this content without national consultation is unacceptable in a democratic society. It is not value-neutral education; it is ideological insertion through state authority,” the CDM statement added.

The organisation concluded that Ghanaians must actively defend the moral and cultural foundations of education, warning that silence is complicity.