Development of SHS PE curriculum began in 2021 – Education Ministry clarifies

The Ministry of Education has stated that the development of the SHS Physical Education curriculum began in 2021, long before Haruna Iddrisu assumed office, thereby dismissing claims that he approved disputed content.

In a press statement, the ministry described as false allegations that the Education Minister authorised a 2024 Year Two Physical Education and Health Elective Teacher Manual containing a contested definition of gender identity.

It said the publication attributed to Hon. Haruna Iddrisu did not reflect the facts surrounding the curriculum development process.

“The development and production of this manual predate the appointment of Hon. Haruna Iddrisu as Minister for Education,” the statement noted, stressing that he “had no oversight of the said material produced.”

According to the ministry, curriculum development commenced in 2021 under the leadership of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), with technical support from Transforming Teaching, Education and Learning (T-TEL).

More than 300 Ghanaian professionals from secondary schools, colleges of education, industry, and universities were engaged to develop curricula and accompanying materials, including teacher manuals.

“The process involved extensive stakeholder engagements before and during the writing and trial phases,” the ministry said, adding that the work was completed before the current minister took office.

Against the backdrop of public controversy over LGBTQ-related references, Mr Iddrisu has directed NaCCA to take full responsibility for the matter and resolve it urgently.

“What is important is to answer the question: what is good for Ghana, for Ghanaian teachers and Ghanaian learners,” he told reporters.

He said NaCCA acknowledged that a definition of “gender identity” in the Year Two Physical Education and Health Elective Teacher Manual was inconsistent with national values.

“I’ve asked NaCCA, the institution responsible, to take full responsibility for the controversy and to remedy it with urgency,” the minister stated.

As part of corrective measures, Mr Iddrisu disclosed that all printed copies of the affected manual had been withdrawn.

“Accordingly, all the 736 printed copies have been withdrawn to allow for a revised version. The online correction has been done, so nobody should be relying on the hard copies,” he said.

NaCCA has explained that teacher manuals are supplementary guides and not policy documents, insisting the approved national curriculum remains unchanged.

The council said revisions have been effected, with the corrected version now available online.

The ministry maintained that the only materials produced under Mr Iddrisu’s direct leadership are the Professional Learning Communities handbooks, which, it said, “contain no ambiguity regarding the definition of gender,” and urged the public to verify information to avoid misinformation.