The Zambian Ministry of Education has issued a statement regarding Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in response to concerns raised by stakeholders. The Ministry clarified that CSE is integrated into various subjects in the Zambian curriculum and is not a separate subject. A Multi-Ministerial Technical Committee was appointed to review the CSE Framework following concerns raised by stakeholders, and the revised framework has since been renamed the Life Skills and Health Education Framework. The Ministry emphasized that the books circulating on social media regarding CSE are not developed by the Ministry of Education, and are photo-shopped and a misrepresentation of the Zambian CSE curriculum framework. The Ministry remains open to further submissions and welcomes any opportunity to raise awareness on CSE with stakeholders in Zambia.
Below is the Full Statement.
PRESS STATEMENT ON COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION IN RELATION TO THE RECENT INFORMATION CIRCULATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
BOOKS CIRCULATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA ARE NOT DEVELOPED BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION.
Government through the Ministry of Education implemented the Revised Curriculum in 2014 that included information to help adolescents cope with numerous challenges as they transition from childhood to adulthood. The information covering various topics from Grade 5-12 was put in a document called Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Framework.
Unlike other countries, CSE in Zambia is integrated in carrier subjects such as Integrated Science, Home Economics, Social Studies, Religious Education and Civic Education.
However, towards the end of 2020, there had been concerns from some members of society on the content of CSE. In responding to the demands from stakeholders, Government appointed a Multi-Ministerial Technical Committee to review the CSE Framework. The review was preceded by consultative meetings which were conducted in all the ten (10) provinces of Zambia, with sittings in three (3) district per province totaling 30 districts, classified as rural, peri-urban and urban which were sampled in each province.
The concerns and suggestions were submitted by Traditional leaders, Religious leaders, parents, learners, head teachers, teachers, community leaders, Civil Society Organisations, Standards officers, line ministries, service providers and Ministry of Education officials.
Country men, ladies and gentlemen, the stakeholders did not entirely reject the teaching of Comprehensive Sexuality Education but made the following observations:
- Learners indicated that CSE was useful in their lives as it enabled them to make informed decisions and protect themselves from STIs and early pregnancies.
- Teachers were however, not comfortable with the title Comprehensive Sexuality Education.
- Parents and most Religious Leaders said that contraceptives should not be taught to school children but emphasis should be on abstinence. Most Traditional Leaders suggested to change Comprehensive Sexuality Education to another appropriate name.
- Stakeholders did not find any content that was promoting homosexuality in the textbooks produced by the Ministry of Education which are used from Grade 5 to 12.
The Technical Committee has since completed reviewing the CSE Framework by addressing the concerns raised by stakeholders. The name has since been changed to Life Skills and Health Education Framework. However, the revised Framework is yet to be validated. This is because, following the Presidential directive to reform curriculum, CSE is also under review since it is integrated in carrier subjects.
Fellow countrymen, ladies and gentlemen the recent posts on social media are meant to tarnish Government and the great strides that the Ministry of Education and other partners have attained in combating teenage pregnancies and STI infections.
The current posting circulating on social media was first circulated in Zambia in 2021 and has been forwarded many times. It actually originated from Tanzania.
As a Ministry, we undertook a survey into bookshops and checked through the titles of the books circulating on social media and our findings were that:
- The books circulating on social media are NOT developed by Ministry of Education. The cover is correct but that page circulating is not from any of the Zambian books. These are photo-shoped, even the pagination is different.
The Ministry remains open to any further submissions and welcomes any opportunity to further raise awareness on CSE with stakeholders in Zambia including parents, traditional leaders, and religious bodies. We, at the same time, are deeply concerned about misleading and alarmist information (both internal and through social media) on the content that is a clear misrepresentation of what is contained in the Zambian CSE curriculum framework.
I THANK YOU
Issued by: Douglas Syakalima
Minister of Education
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
Upnd is team Judas Iscariot.
The evil upnd wants to teach your children that dirty gay business. We warned you. Remember Lusaka July? All blessed by hh
Mr minister in your years in school you never heard of this sex education thing and you lost nothing , but what is that you want to give to your children and grand children .
This thing you are welcoming in the country is a western tailored program intended to draw our own people into their corrupt kind of life ,
This program is alien to our African societies please keep our children from this danger , the problem we have today is the new government who vowed that after they ascend to power they will adopt the American culture at least that is what HH told American president.
WE TOO BACKWARD TO PROGRESS
LETS DISCUSS THIS IN 20 YEARS MAYBE
Only time will tell. But be guaranteed that we will not allow you to corrupt the minds of our children in the name of being modern.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun” – said the wise man. And primary school is not the time to introduce kids to such curricula.
Those who have taken the interest to see the amount of damage thos has caused in the US especially among black Americans will see for themselves.
I can see those influenced by the pseudo woke moralistic doctrines will come up with all sorts of accusations about being backward if you oppose this stuff.
Its the kinds of arguments to they also try to use to promote unnatural acts that consist in the so called LGBTQ+ “community”. Just parroting what they have been hearing on TV talk shows. No actual info of facts just a relativistic pseudo morality.
There’s an LGBTQ agenda coming from Western countries, to corrupt our children in Africa. They want to teach the kids that even if they’re boys, they have a right to chose their gender of liking. Also forbidding parents to tell their children that they’re boys or they’re girls. That the children themselves should decide what gender they want to identify as. If this is what is coming to Zambia, then HH and his UPND must be voted out come 2026, before they destroy the moral fiber of our nation.
Circulate the contents of the revised curriculum to allay fears. Let everybody see for themselves what is contained in the Curriculum – as opposed to changes in Curriculum titles.
https://www.lusakatimes.com/2023/02/09/catholic-bishops-has-opposed-the-comprehensive-sexuality-education-materials-in-the-current-form/
Whether you like it all not…..the gays and Lesbians will soon be walking the streets of Lusaka freely. Thats what you promised your funders. We know they are the ones pushing you to implement the programme now. The only sad thing is that you want to start with our children in schools. What a shame!!
without wasting my time to go through this article i may proceed by saying can please the Minister be straight and stop lying,this issue is hot please take your kids to schools in Europe were they teach gayism and homo.Save our children from this evil acts.
CSE is integrated into various subjects….so how is sex going to work in mathematics?
One Man + One Woman = One baby
One Gay Man + One Gay Man= Zero Baby
One Lesbian + One Lesbian = Zero Polygamy & Zero Baby