As a father of four, John Musisi shared with National Catholic Reporter (NCR)how government-mandated sex education courses in Catholic schools have harmed his 12-year-old son.
According to the article, "Musisi is among thousands of Catholics in this East African nation of 37.67 million who have rejected sex education in Catholic schools unless administrators change the curriculum to reflect traditional values."
Catholics make up the largest religious denomination in Uganda with 39 percent of the population; around 32 percent are Anglican, and 14 percent are Muslim according to 2014 Census data.
The government has introduced guidelines for sex education in all schools, including ones founded by faith-based organizations. The officials said the requirement was necessary because sexual crimes, unwanted pregnancies, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases are common among school-age children. According to a government document, the new program instructs children between 3 and 5 years old to "know" themselves sexually.
"Teachers are giving kids ideas of things that they had never thought of before," said Musisi. "It's our responsibility as parents to raise our children the way we want. It's embarrassing to see our kids start to think [about] and discuss sex."
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