Education Ministry defends sex education after Archbishop Lwanga bashes it in Christmas Message
Ministry of Education officials
Kampala diocese Archbishop Cyrian Lwanga attacked the government to introduce sex education in schools during his Tuesday, Christmas Day sermon. Archbishop Lwanga said, "How can you teach sex to children of between three and nine? We as religious leaders therefore do not agree with the sexual framework and it cannot be implemented in our schools in its current form."
But MoE Sexuality Education Cordinator Ismael Mulindwa argues that many opposed to sex education have misunderstood it. He says, "What we are saying is that we want to arm these little ones with the skill to tell when they are likely to be lured into sexual activity."
Reproductive Health Uganda's James Tumusiime says, "The Sexuality Education Framework is necessarily urgent because it is is to curb teenage pregnancies and improve general adolescent health in East and Central Africa." He adds that the number of young people contracting HIV/AIDS is also on the rise.
Tumusiime says Uganda has already committed to this framework on the regional level.
Mulindwa chips in and argues that, "The problem with this sexuality education framework is simply one, people who are criticising it have not opened its pages to read it."
He goes on to say that MoE sought cooperation with religious leaders and communities on how to implement the framework. He says the education ministry has already received representatives to be part of a committee from Anglican Archbishop Stanley Ntagaali, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Evangelicals leader Pastor Sserwarda, Orthodox Bishop Maate
A 2016 Uganda national health survey revealed that 4 in every 100 teenage girls are either pregnant or have had their first child. By the age of 15, 7 out of every 100 girls and 8 out of every 100 boys have had sex.
