Haruna Iddrisu
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has reaffirmed the government’s position that sex must be defined strictly on biological grounds, describing it as the sex assigned to a person at birth.
He said there should be no ambiguity within Ghana’s education system regarding the definition of sex, emphasising that references to “man,” “woman,” or “sex” must be understood in biological terms.
“Sex means biological sex. Reference to a man or a woman is a reference to biological sex and the sex of a person at birth. For our purposes, that is settled,” he stated.
Mr Iddrisu 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 educational materials.
He stressed that all educational resources used in the country must clearly reflect this definition, adding that the position aligns with Ghanaian cultural values and social norms.
“This reflects our values and norms as a country. That is how we want to raise Ghanaian learners in an environment they appreciate, because the morality of our society rests on the extent to which these values are upheld,” he said.
The Minister noted that the Ministry of Education has already taken steps to correct inconsistencies in existing materials and directed that all future publications by the Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) must comply with the biological definition of sex.
“Going forward, every publication of the Ministry of Education, GES, and all institutions within the education space must respect this natural definition of sex, man, and woman,” he said.
He added that policy decisions must ultimately serve the national interest. “What is important is what is good for Ghana, Ghanaian teachers, and Ghanaian learners,” he stated.
Mr Iddrisu further disclosed that he had instructed the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) to take responsibility for the issue and address it urgently. According to him, NaCCA had concluded that aspects of a teacher manual did not reflect Ghanaian values and norms.
The Minister stated that, as part of the corrective measures, all 736 printed copies of the Year Two Physical Education and Health (Elective) Teacher Manual for senior high schools had been recalled. At the same time, a revised version aligned with the government’s position had been uploaded online.
He cautioned teachers against relying on hard copies of the manual, noting that the online version contains the approved corrections.
“The curriculum is dynamic and regularly updated. Teachers and the public should rely on the official online platform for accurate and current materials,” he said, directing users to the curriculum resources website for updated content.
The Minister’s clarification follows nationwide controversy surrounding a teacher support manual developed in 2024 by NaCCA to accompany the new Senior High School curriculum. A definition of “gender identity” in the manual sparked public criticism after it circulated online, with critics arguing it conflicted with Ghanaian cultural values.
In response, NaCCA withdrew the printed materials, apologised to the public, and released a revised version that reflects a biological understanding of sex.
By Vera Owusu Sarpong