The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has denounced explicit sex education content in Grade 7 textbooks alleging to drop the teaching of abstinence in schools and introduce family planning in its place.
KCCB's Commission for Education and Religious Education singled out Health Education textbooks by two publishers for seeking to "sexualize the learning environment".
In a statement endorsed by the Catholic Schools Principals' Association, KCCB said the books published by the Kenya Literature Bureau and Oxford University Press were part of a well-choreographed scheme to encourage the use of contraception.
"We note that the content not only sexualizes the learning environment for minors but will also be the biggest contributor to the high rates of teenage pregnancies and abortion," Bishop Paul Kariuki told new reporters.
He noted that the content violates the Ministry of Education policy against the exposure of children to explicit content.
Anti-abstinence teaching
KCCB said the content in the said publications fails to establish abstinence as the expected standard for all children.
"Looking at the Grade 7 Learner's book titled "Top Scholar Health Education" by the Kenya Literature Bureau under Strand 7 on Human Reproductive Health, sub- strand 7.2 on Reproductive Health on page 127 and Grade 7 Teacher's Guide titled "Health Education in Action" by Oxford University Press under Strand 7 on Human Reproductive Health, sub-strand 7.2 on Reproductive Health on page 153 have created room for introduction of family planning and encouragement of the use of contraception to very young learners," Bishop Kariuki said.
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KCCB argued that if left unchecked, the promotion of family planning at the basic education level could lead to a surge abortions among teenagers.
The clergy implored principals running Catholic schools to continue instigating the right moral values to the school going children.
"The mischievous and behind-the-scenes introduction of Comprehensive Sex Education defies the narrative sold to Kenyans that the Competency Based Curriculum is based on values and any education given would be age appropriate," Bishop Mark Kadima explained.
KCCB urged parents to exercise caution even as it challenged the Ministry of Education to seek parents' consent prior to introducing sensitive content such as reproductive health to learners.
