Prof. Samuel Ofori Obuobisah Bekoe, Director-General of Ghana’s National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), has issued a public apology over backlash against “gender identity” content in a Senior High School teacher manual.
The controversial sections appeared in the Year Two Physical Education and Health (Elective) Teacher Manual, developed in 2024 as a supplement to the new SHS curriculum. Already approved, printed with public funds, and distributed to schools, the manual was swiftly withdrawn following public uproar.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Wednesday, Prof. Bekoe addressed the content’s clash with Ghanaian cultural values.
“When you take over a place of liability, on that note, I have no difficulty, on behalf of the organization, apologizing to the public for whatever transpired,” Prof. Bekoe said. “But as I said, we are taking strong measures to ensure that these things do not occur.”
Host Evans Mensah urged a direct apology to parents fearing their children’s exposure. Prof. Bekoe noted the elective nature of the subject, suggesting limited uptake.
“We don’t want to just assume, so we will send officers to the field to find out,” he replied. “Because it’s an elective course and not many students take it, it is easier to find out the extent to which there was anything that was done.” He added that teachers’ discretion may have limited its classroom use.
Story by: Emmanuel Asiedu Agyare (Onokwafo Yaw Asiedu)/ Ahotoronline.com I Ghana
@onokwafoasiedu
