Education Minister: Sex is biological, there shouldn’t be any ambiguity

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has clarified that all references to sex in Ghana’s educational materials must strictly reflect biological sex as determined at birth, stressing that there should be no ambiguity in the definition of a man or a woman.

He made the remarks during a training session in Tamale on the Ghanaian Youth Handbook and the rollout of the Guidance and Counselling framework, following public debate over content in some teaching and learning materials.

According to the Minister, references to a man, a woman and sex in educational literature must be based solely on biological definitions. He said this position reflects Ghanaian values, culture and social norms, which should guide how learners are educated across the country.

Mr. Iddrisu explained that the clarification was necessary to address concerns raised about certain materials and confirmed that the issues identified had been 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.

He added that the moral foundation of society depends on the values upheld through education and said it was important to focus on what is best for Ghanaian teachers and learners.

As part of steps to resolve the controversy, the Minister said he had directed the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to take full responsibility for the matter and act with urgency. He disclosed that NaCCA had admitted that the definition of gender identity contained in the affected manual did not reflect Ghanaian values and norms.

The Minister further announced that NaCCA had been instructed to recall all 736 printed copies of the Year Two Physical Education and Health elective teacher manual for senior high schools. He noted that corrections had already been made to the online version of the curriculum and cautioned teachers not to rely on the hard copies.

He explained 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 Minister’s comments come amid heightened political debate over the issue. The Minority in Parliament has called for the dismissal of the Director-General and Board Chair of NaCCA, accusing them of negligence over the inclusion of LGBTQ-related content in the withdrawn teacher manual.

NaCCA has since withdrawn the printed manuals and released a revised version, which it says aligns with Ghanaian cultural values and presents a biological understanding of the subject.