The Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM) has condemned key state institutions over the inclusion of a controversial gender identity concept in the Senior High School (SHS) Physical Education and Health Teacher’s Manual for Year Two.

The organisation described the move as a breach of trust between the state and Ghanaians, noting that the decision was taken without consultation with parents, religious bodies, or traditional authorities.

“The Ministry of Education cannot disclaim responsibility for materials circulated under its authority. Silence amid public outrage amounts to acquiescence,” CDM stated.

The group further accused the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) of either failing in its mandate or deliberately evading responsibility, while the Ghana Education Service (GES) was criticised for disseminating the materials nationwide without due oversight.

According to CDM, the manual’s definition of gender identity as “a person’s deeply felt internal experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth” undermines the male–female binary that forms the foundation of Ghanaian society.

The organisation warned that such ideological insertions threaten the moral and cultural fabric of the country.

Highlighting the gravity of the matter, CDM called for immediate action, urging the withdrawal of all teaching materials that introduce or promote LGBTQ-related concepts in SHSs.

The group also demanded full accountability from the Ministry of Education, NaCCA, and GES for the oversight failures that allowed the materials to reach classrooms.

“The dissemination of this content without national consultation is unacceptable in a democratic society. It is not value-neutral education; it is ideological insertion through state authority,” CDM emphasised.

The organisation concluded that Ghanaians must actively defend the moral and cultural foundations of education, warning that silence is complicity.