Sexuality education can be delivered by religious institutions and parents

I would like to respond to the article by the First Lady and minister of Education, which appeared in New Vision of January 10. It is a press statement on the status of the National Education Policy Framework. It was written in response to the remarks attributed to Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, where he was quoted by the media expressing discomfort with some aspects of the policy. The First Lady wanted to clarify that the policy proposal is “neither sex education nor just ‘teaching children about sex’ or ‘matters of the bedroom.”

The article clearly differentiates between the classical definition of sex education and the proposed sexuality education. From the article, sex Education is defined as “a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse and other aspects of this human sexual behaviour. It aims at developing and strengthening the ability of children and young people to make conscious, right, healthy, deliberate, safe and respectful choices, regarding emotional and physical health and boy/girl relationship.

The definition of sexual education is biology, which should be taught in schools. The sex material in the syllabus are arranged to fit the different age groups throughout the educational system. This system ensures that appropriate knowledge is given to children at appropriate time. Primary school should deal with reproduction, puberty, menstruation and sexual identity. Secondary school should deal with ‘rights and responsibilities in sexual relationships and issues associated with sexuality. The question of sexuality education as described by the article will create problems. The article states, “Otherwise, the more time we waste in disagreements, the higher the statistics go…statistics of teenage pregnancy, HIV/Aids, sexual abuses, etc.” These actions are meant to remedy the situation, but instead will promote them.

By nature, children are curious - they want to try, to explore, to see how it works and what happens. They want to try the don’ts. Henry Okurut in Daily Monitor of January 11, 2019 states that, “As long as apathetic rural communities continue to glorify child-bearing while stigmatising a woman’s barrenness, sexuality education will have minimum impact in combating sexual violence against children in such society. He described this policy as a “non-inclusive top-down policy formulation process, although heads of NGOs and government departments were informed. The New Vision of January 5 reported that seven out of 10 pupils in primary schools have been abused sexually, the commonest abusers being teachers entrusted with the responsibility of keeping children safe.

The Education Local Enterprises Centre in Uganda reported that 67 per cent of the abuses are by male teachers, 22 per cent by fellow students, 5 per cent by female teachers and 6 per cent by non-teaching staff. Sexual abuse, which is one of the crimes targeted by the sexuality education is defined as ‘unwanted sexual activity, with perpetrators using force’. Some children are enticed with money and we know the famous criminal “marks for sex” in our educational system. Billie de Haas, an Assistant Professor of Population Studies, University of Groningen, said “Uganda’s new sex education framework will do more harm than good”. She said many young people are already sexually active - there is a high pregnancy and unsafe abortion rates, a high rate of young Ugandan deaths are pregnancy- related. We read about these problems daily in media. Many people acknowledge that Uganda has the best laws, but the problem is weak enforcement, which makes children vulnerable to sexual violence.

Sexuality is very much related to marriage, and what this new policy is trying to do should be done by Religious Institutions and parents. Msgr John Katende, in one of his articles he said, “Religion is the Soul of Society”. He argued that society is organized around culture. Culture determines what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’. But what a culture determines to be ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ is secured by religion. Religion is, hence, the soul of society.

Religious institutions are responsible for marriages in Uganda and they instruct their faithful on ethical matters related to sexuality. These religions teach abstinence from sex until marriage without conditions; be faithful to your partner until death. Sex is only practiced in a lawful marriage and we cannot teach children anything else. Ugandans (85 per cent Christians) should have the right messages from childhood.
My opinion is that sexuality education can be effectively handled by religious institutions assisted by parents. It is their role as custodians of religious morals.

Dr Okoth is a concerned citizen and
Christian. [email protected]