By Patrick Obia
The Diocesan Education Board, Catholic Diocese of Ogoja, Cross River State, has shifted the blame of her school – St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Academy, Obudu questionable curriculum to the Ministry of Education.
A disturbing Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS 1) class assignment surfaced online where the students are asked to define homosexuality, lesbianism and gayism.
The assignment generated public concerns both on and offline with Human Rights Activist, Citizen Agba Jalingo condemning such assignment.
Agba Jalingo in a social media post questioned “what curriculum or text book wants to expose children under ten years to such things in Obudu?”
The activist also fumed: “And the teacher who gave them this homework is a Seminarian, Francis Ushie, from Bekwarra. When I spoke with him, he said it is part of their curriculum and he was teaching them about the wrong use of marriage. What have under tens got to do with marriage? I want to see that curriculum,” he inquired. Adding that “we must be careful what we allow children to consume from caregivers.”
However, the Diocesan Education Board of the school in a clarification message said the curriculum content is in order as approved by the State Ministry of Education.
The school management averred that textbooks used are as recommended by the same Education Ministry.
“The textbook used for the lesson referred to in the post is ‘Living As God’s Children JSS 2 – Christian Religious Studies and Moral Instructions for Junior Secondary Schools’. This is a UBE Level 7 text edited by AJV Obinna; LET Shyllon PhD; and TND Quarcoopone.”
Management added that the clarification is necessitated for the benefit of the public, especially parents who have their children and wards in Catholic Schools.
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