NaCCA orders withdrawal of SHS teachers’ manual amid gender identity concerns
Concerns over how gender identity is defined in Ghana’s Senior High School Physical Education and Health teachers’ manual have prompted the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) to act. The Council has ordered all teachers holding hard copies of the manual to return them without delay.
At the center of the debate is a section of the manual that describes gender identity as “a person’s deeply felt internal experience of gender, which may or may not correspond to the sex assigned at birth.” It further explains that gender may be male, female, or a blend of both, moving beyond a strictly binary concept.
NaCCA Board Chairman, Prof. Vincent Assanful, confirmed the directive in an interview with Adom News. He explained that the withdrawal is part of a sweeping review of Ghana’s curriculum, from the basic to the secondary level. The review, he said, is designed to ensure that educational materials remain consistent with Ghanaian values while upholding academic standards.
Prof. Assanful stressed that the exercise is not limited to the gender identity section alone. “This is only one,” he noted, adding that the entire manual will be scrutinized to guarantee clarity and appropriateness for classroom use.
The directive underscores NaCCA’s determination to respond to public concerns while reinforcing its role in shaping teaching materials that balance cultural relevance with educational integrity.
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