Accra, Oct. 7, GNA - The Ghana Culture Forum, Monday, commending the President for his determination to uphold Ghana’s cultural values, recommended to the Ministry of Education to ground the guidelines on Adolescent Reproductive Health and Sex Education in the National Cultural Policy.
According to the Forum, the Cultural Policy, which was promulgated in 2004, provided enough resources on the nation's moral, ethical and aesthetic values to shape the thinking on the subject and guide the practice of moral education and upbringing
These were contained in a statement, signed by the Chairman of the Forum, Asare Konadu Yamoah, and issued to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra.
“The Cultural Policy of Ghana states ... the people of Ghana must recognise that their culture is the basis of, and the most important factor in the nation's human and material development. Thus, our history, cultural values and institutions must continue to exercise a deep influence on the nation's destiny and play a key role in governance and national life,"’ it said.
“The Policy should be considered and used as an important reference document for Government's policy formulation and programming and should guide any further consultations on national issues and discourse”.
The Forum said it keenly followed the debate over the past two weeks on the National Guidelines on the implementation of the controversial Comprehensive Sexuality Education, which some critics alleged incorporated some content to promote the rights of Lesbians Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community.
The critics also protested the introduction sex education to preschoolers, saying these were immoral and alien to Ghanaian culture.
President Akufo-Addo on Sunday addressed leaders of faith-based organisations on the issue, in Kumasi, saying as a Christian he would not sanction any educational content that was likely to corrupt the moral values of the Ghanaian child.
In view of this, the President said, when the Guidelines on the CSE was presented to Cabinet in March, it directed that it be reviewed to reflect the national cultural values and ethics.
The CSE guidelines, therefore, have not been sanctioned for teaching in the school curriculum.
“The Ghana Culture Forum commends the President for his firm pledge to uphold the cultural heritage and values of the country,” the statement said.
As an advocate for the promotion of our cultural heritage, the Forum said, it was concerned about ensuring that ‘our cherished cultural values are incorporated into education planning and the building of a sustainable foundation for national development’.
GNA
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