In reaction to the rising trend of teaching Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and Gender Education in Nigerian schools, the Bishop of Oyo, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo and the Association of Concerned Mothers (ASCOM), a non-governmental organisation have vehemently condemned the promotion of CSE, describing it as an attack on children’s innocence.
ASCOM, a non-profit organisation that promotes family values, has expressed its displeasure at what it described as wanton invasion of children’s innocence by writing a petition to the Ministry of Education, complaining about the lewd and sexually explicit textbooks already in use by government schools and some private schools in the country.
In the petition which was exclusively obtained by CEOAfrica, the Concerned Mothers called attention to the fact that CSEs taught in schools promote controversial sexual ideologies like; abortion, homosexuality, masturbation, use of contraception and many others among children as young as eight years old.
ASCOM, in the petition, cited examples of textbooks like; Social Studies textbook, Basic Science textbook and a number of Literature books that clearly state different sexual techniques and how to give and receive sexual pleasure. The group noted that these books, which are already used in some schools, are sexualizing children without parental consent.
Blaming the promotion of CSEs on some individuals and organisations linked to United Nations through United Nations Populations Fund Agency (UNFPA), the Bishop of Oyo, Bishop Badejo stated that the content of Sexuality Education taught in Nigerian schools have been found to be immoral, sexual permissive and demeaning of traditional and cultural values.
The Bishop noted that while the Church and some other organizations have spoken out against CSE which according to him, takes the right to give sexuality to children out of the hands of the parents and guardians, many parents have only just woken up to the challenge with the emergence of many textbooks which in subtle ways undermine long held moral standards and values regarding human sexuality in the education of children.
The Cleric faulted the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole as well as the Former Chairman of UNFPA, Late Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, for their involvement in ardently promoting CSE agenda and their aggressive endorsement of contraceptives in Nigeria.
Bishop Badejo further assured that in support of the petition written by ASCOM to the Federal Government, the Catholic Bishops Conference is putting together a reaction that will address the moral, cultural and emotional havoc the teaching of CSEs is inflicting on innocent children.
Below is the petition written by ASSOCIATION OF CONCERNED MOTHERS (ASCOM)
Dear Honourable Minister,
PETITION AGAINST COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION (CSE) AND GENDER EDUCATION
Association of Concerned Mothers (ASCOM) is a registered non- profit and non – governmental organisation promoting family values and family enrichment programmes. We create awareness of the rights and duties of parents towards their children and family through activities focusing on family values and the intellectual and moral education of children. The family is the most suitable place to initiate children in the practice of good character, values, life skills and wholesome sexual behaviour. While teachers may cooperate in educating the children in the way of good character formation, parents are however the first and best educators. We therefore work with governments to improve school systems, educational policies and practices that foster family values.
We would like to call attention to the unwholesome and dangerous ideology called Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) which is being promoted by multiple United Nations representatives and government bodies in Nigeria. Research has clearly shown that CSE is one of the most insidious attacks on the safety, health and innocence of our children. CSE claims to have an “evidence informed approach to effective sex, relationships and HIV/STI education. However, this ideology, which is already in use in government schools and some private schools in our country, promotes such things as abortion, homosexuality, masturbation and other controversial sexual ideologies to our children as young as eight years.
In a Nigerian Social Studies textbook for JSS1 authored by S. O. Omotuyole (page50), children are taught ways to give and receive sexual pleasure and develop closeness without sexual intercourse such as kissing, mutual masturbation, among other lewd words. A parent reported that she found the following in her daughter’s English note book, were she was asked to define blow job, hanky-panky, pillow talk and the host of others that she is too dumbstruck to mention. The Basic Science textbooks, bear it all for our children on different techniques of sexual perverseness like erections, ejaculation, and sexual intercourse, methods of contraception, withdrawal methods and ways of doing abortion. They demonstrate with mannequins of genital organs how they can enjoy sex without any hitches.
This is a gradual process of turning our children into animals and de-civilization of their generation. Teaching our young children that they can obtain sexual pleasure through mutual masturbation, blow job, and so on, is an outrage. There are many who would claim this constitutes child abuse. It is also agreed by many experts that masturbation can and indeed contribute to sexual addiction, while mutual masturbation is nothing but homosexual and lesbian practices. More of such unwholesome words can be found in literature books like Tears of a Bride by Oyekunle Oyedeji; Precious Little Darlings by Olafosu Ayodeji, The Precious Child by Queen Okweshiene and many more. These books are sexualizing our children without parental consent. One of the guidelines or teacher’s manuals states “Contraceptives and condoms give children the opportunity to enjoy their sexuality without unintended consequences.”
In light of statistics of condom failure rates and an active HIV/AIDS epidemic, this statement is unconscionable. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) guidelines focus on children seeking “sexual pleasure” instead of teaching children the hazards of premarital sex and otherwise respecting the customs, laws and culture of our nation. This is not education. CSE simply stands for Condoms and Sex Everywhere. Research has proven that school-based sex education does not reduce teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or any other social problem it may claim to tackle. Rather they are on the increase and the social dysfunctions multiply. Countries who have fully integrated sex education also have legalized abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage, etc.
Is this what Nigerians want or need? If CSE is not repudiated by your Ministry, commissioners of education will bring disrepute upon the entire education system, as more and more parents across the nation learn about and become outraged by CSE guidelines. We urgently request you also use your good office to address Gender education in the curriculum of our children. Men and women are of equal dignity but are not the same. The differences between the sexes are scientifically proven on physical, mental and affective levels. Gender roles are part of the fabric of our society and many are good and wholesome, based on the truth of differences between the sexes. To discriminate is to make choices based on differences. Consequently there is positive as well as negative discrimination. While a good many negative stereotypes do cause harm and violence to women, we soundly denounce attempts to introduce a blanket social ban on all gender stereotyping. This has been introduced into our children’s school books as well as the noxious idea the gender is a social construct. It is such fluid definitions of gender that promote homosexuality, lesbianism. Our honourable Minister, history will judge us parents if we fail to restore our lost values. Let us give our children virtues so they can make the right choices and they will be happier for it. We hope you will join us in this worthy effort to protect our children from receiving inappropriate, dangerous, ideologically driven sex and gender education. God will give the grace for this task, do not fail Him!
Yours faithfully,
Ngozi Agu Chinelo Ujubuoñu
Chairperson, Secretary
Cc: House of Assembly All States Commissioners of Women Affairs
ASCOM Committed to Improving the Quality of Family Life in Our Society
