The Ministry of Education has dismissed assertions that the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, sanctioned the incorporation of gender identity content in a Physical Education and Health elective teacher manual intended for Senior High Schools.
In a press release dated January 17, 2026, the Ministry characterized the claims made by the Centre for Democratic Movement as “false and entirely without basis”.
The statement clarified that the Physical Education and Health elective teacher manual for SHS Year Two (2024), which is at the heart of the dispute, was created long before Haruna Iddrisu took office.
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“The development and production of this manual predate the appointment of Hon. Haruna Iddrisu as Minister for Education. He therefore had no oversight of the said material produced,” the Ministry asserted.
The Ministry indicated that the curriculum development process commenced in 2021 under the guidance of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), with technical assistance from Transforming Teaching, Education and Learning (T-TEL), involving over 300 Ghanaian professionals from the education sector.
It also emphasised that the only official materials produced under the direct leadership of the Minister are the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) handbooks.
“The PLC handbook contains no ambiguity regarding the definition of gender,” the statement remarked.
Reiterating its stance, the Ministry called on the media and the public to exercise caution when reporting on such issues.
“We urge the public and media organisations to verify information thoroughly before publication to prevent misinformation and unnecessary public concern,” the statement concluded.