INCLUSION OF SEX AND HOMOSEXUALITY IN NIGERIAN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS: A THREAT TO MORALITY AND ATTACK ON CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS VALUES
We, the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) B-Zone, write to express our concern about the inclusion of lewd and sexually explicit materials in some primary and secondary school textbooks currently in circulation in Nigeria.
We are appalled by the content in some Mathematics, English, and Social Science textbooks used in many Nigerian secondary schools today. These textbooks have been corrupted to include lewd and sexually explicit matters in order to sexualize young students. For instance, a typical Mathematics question for primary school pupils is “20 condoms + 5 condoms – 2 condoms equals”. Furthermore, some of the textbooks promote abortion, LGBT, masturbation, and safe sex with condoms.
They include: Basic Science Junior Secondary School Razat Publishers, 2018 edition, (for JSS3). Open pages 78 83 to see the harmful contents of the book- lesson on teenage pregnancy, types of abortions students can do, myths & facts about pregnancy, indoctrination of the pupils on terminology of unsafe & safe abortion, six ways to prevent pregnancy with contraceptives, how to enjoy ‘safe sex’ without pregnancy false information on four types of abstinence of which none is the actual definition of abstinence to be promoted among adolescents.
Active Basic Science, 2014 edition By Tola Anjorin, Okechukwu Okolo, Philias Yara, Bamidele Mutiu, Fatima Koki, Lydia Gbagu: See Pages 31- 34. Cry for Justice by Ademola Adefila; See Pages 60-61, 64-65, read the description of having sex and sexual experience. Stigma by Samson O Shobayo, See the pages. The book encourages sexual relationship with HIV patients; kissing.
Basic Science & Technology for Junior Secondary School 1, 2 and 3: By W.K Hamzat, S. Bakare: See Pages 29- 47 Page 48-52 Page 64 Pages 67- 73 and Pages 86 of the three books which promote abortion, LGBT, masturbation and safe-sex with condoms.
New Concept English for Senior Secondary Schools for SSS2, Revised edition (2018 edition) by J Eyisi, A Adekunle, T Adepolu, F Ademola Adeoye, Q Adams and, J Eto, See Pages 103- 104 that contain obscene and vulgar expressions such as: small men always thinking small and acting small and these vulgar words: He swore by the grey hairs of his head and his penis even by the cunt of his own mother.
We believe that this is a blatant violation of the cultural and religious values of the Nigerian people, particularly the Muslim community. The MSSN, being a major stakeholder in the Nigerian education system, cannot but express her grave concern about the situation.
We, therefore, call on the Ministry of Education to urgently investigate this matter and ensure that textbooks used in Nigerian schools are free from contents that are harmful to the morals of our young students. We demand that the Ministry of Education takes immediate steps to remove all textbooks containing lewd and sexually explicit materials from circulation in schools across the country.
We believe that the Nigerian education system should uphold the cultural and religious values of the Nigerian people, particularly the Muslim community. The inclusion of such materials in textbooks is a threat to the morality of our children and an attack on our cultural and religious values. It is, therefore, imperative that the Ministry of Education takes urgent and decisive action to address this issue.
