• Focus on curriculum improvements, not sexual education

In the wake of allegations that attempts are being made to promote various deviant behaviour under the guise of sexual education in schools through the proposed education reforms, the Ministry of Education stated that reforms have no link to sex education.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Secretary to the Education Ministry, Nalaka Kaluwewa said that sexual education has not been prioritised or considered in the reform process. He added that certain parties are wrongly connecting two separate matters and that it has resulted in some confusion. 

“There is nothing related to sex education in these reforms. Introducing or expanding sexual education is not an objective of these reforms at all. These are two different things. Our aim is to improve curriculum so children will have better prospects. The text books which will be distributed among schoolchildren under these reforms have already been printed. Anyone can see what the reforms are,” he said.

The statement comes in the wake of recent comments made by Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, who raised concerns over reforms which he said would weaken married life and family values. He claimed that children are being exposed to sexual education from the age of six, and that such teaching presents different forms of deviant behaviour as acceptable.

“Various programmes are being implemented in society that undermine married life. One such issue is the sexual education curriculum prepared by the Education Ministry. From as young as six years old, children are being taught behaviours presented as acceptable. The present Government is promoting education reforms that take away parents’ rights, which we cannot accept,” he said during a recent event.