CAPE TOWN – Authorities in Mozambique’s education sector have dropped a book from its curriculum for 12-year-old Grade 7 pupils containing some controversial subjects on sexuality, international media reported on Monday.
According to a BBC News Africa report on Monday, the natural sciences book addresses subjects such as masturbation and sexual orientation.
The Director of the National Institute for Education Development (INDE), Ismael Nheze, who was speaking at a press conference on Friday in the capital, Maputo, told reporters that the content has been part of the book since 2004 but only now has anybody complained about it, according to Mozambiquan news agency Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (AIM).
According to reports, teaching issues on sexuality to young people remains taboo in some communities in Mozambique.
Furthermore, the claims that parents are up in arms against the book is not backed by any evidence, say authorities,
Local media reported that a sense of outrage was generated on Mozambican social media, but nobody has any idea of how representative this is of parents' feelings, reported AIM.
Education authorities said that the book would be replaced next year but the education ministry has urged schools "not to address these issues".
"We talked to the publisher to remove that page", said Nheze, writes BBC News Africa.
According to Unesco, research has shown that 60% of young people in eastern and southern Africa still lack the basic knowledge to prevent HIV due to their limited access to sex education.
IOL