Uganda High court will soon sermon government to respond to a suit by Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (Cehurd), a non-governmental organization.
Cehurd has sued government for the delay to draft a policy on comprehensive sexuality education, which came as a result of the move by parliament to ban its teaching and the dissemination of related training materials in primary schools.
The same NGO wants parliament to revoke this open ban on the program, because “the Constitution protects the right of children to access age appropriate information.”
Amid pressure from masses, stake holders and the church last year, Parliament passed a resolution banning teaching of sex education in schools, when investigations revealed that this curriculum targeting secondary school students and their teachers, praised pornography, homosexuality and masturbation as fulfilling sexual attributes among people who have consented.
The Education and Sports ministry embarked on developing a new policy on sexual education in August, but to date, the policy hasn’t been made public, URN reports.
Janet Museveni said the education ministry was to work hand-in-hand with fellow ministries of ethics and integrity, justice, ICT and national guidance to agree on how to put a stop to the distribution of comprehensive sexuality education materials in schools.
This message was delivered while speaking to stakeholders in the education sector during the 23rd annual education and sports sector review workshop in Kampala.
Joy Asasira, the program manager, research and advocacy officer at Cehurd has told URN that the delay by the ministry to put in place a new sexuality education policy, has jeopardized the realization of the right to education and access to information contrary to the Constitution and Education (pre-primary and post-primary) Act, 2008.
“Comprehensive sexuality education is vital in providing information to young people for their transition to adulthood as it equips them with knowledge, skills and values to make responsible choices and to avoid sexual reproductive ill health…” Asasira states in her affidavit
Adding: “The banning of sexuality education and its delay to put in place a new policy, creates a gap and is a threat to social development of the country as it bans all good practices in both formal and informal settings that include senior woman in schools teaching children how to manage menstrual hygiene and generally preparing them for future and parenthood.”
According to URN, she also contends that the open ban imposed on sexuality education defeats the other government policies being implemented like the national strategy to end child marriage and teenage pregnancy and prevention of HIV/Aids.
aaron@ugchristiannews.com
