The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has rejected claims that LGBTQ-related content has been introduced into Ghana’s Senior High School (SHS) curriculum, following allegations by Assin South MP, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour.
Rev. Fordjour, who is the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, earlier accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of secretly inserting what he described as an LGBTQ agenda into Ghana’s school curriculum through teacher manuals and other Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs). He called for the immediate withdrawal of the materials and a review of the curriculum.
In response, NaCCA, in a press release dated January 13, 2026, said it had noted the allegations with concern but stressed that “no such content exists within the approved national curriculum” for Senior High Schools.
The statement, issued on behalf of the Ministry of Education and signed by NaCCA, drew a clear distinction between the national curriculum and teacher manuals. According to the council, the curriculum is the official policy document outlining mandatory areas of study for learners, while teacher manuals are supplementary resources meant to guide teachers and are not compulsory.
“Teacher manuals do not constitute the curriculum itself, and teachers may deliver the approved curriculum without relying on these specific guides,” the statement explained.
NaCCA further disclosed that a new SHS curriculum was introduced in the 2024/2025 academic year and, for the first time, teacher manuals were developed to support its implementation. These manuals, the council said, were produced in 2024 by subject-specific writing teams in collaboration with the Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) programme.
However, NaCCA admitted that following an internal review, it identified concerns with a specific definition of “gender identity” contained in the Year Two Physical Education and Health (Elective) Teacher Manual for SHS. According to the council, the definition was found not to be reflective of Ghanaian culture, norms and values.
The council said appropriate steps were being taken to address the issue, insisting that the matter should not be misconstrued as the introduction of LGBTQ content into the national curriculum itself.
Rev. Fordjour has argued that the alleged inclusion of such content reinforces his claims about the government’s stance on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, also known as the anti-gay bill. The government is yet to issue a direct response to his broader political claims.
