NaCCA recalls SHS PE manual after controversy over gender definition

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has moved to withdraw hard copies of the Senior High School Physical Education and Health teachers’ manual from circulation after concerns were raised about a section defining gender identity.

The directive follows public debate over the wording of the definition, which NaCCA says should not have made it into the final teaching material now being used in some classrooms.

Speaking in an interview with Adom News on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the Chairman of the NaCCA Board, Professor Vincent Assanful, confirmed that teachers in possession of the manual had been instructed to return it as part of an ongoing curriculum review.

He said the review is intended to ensure that teaching materials reflect Ghanaian values while preserving academic credibility, adding that it spans the entire education system from basic to secondary level.

“In the review process, we should have flagged that definition. We are undertaking some changes in the curriculum. I have instructed my Director-General that they should issue a statement to clarify and to make a point that that bit and in fact it is not only that bit, the whole section of definition of terms we will have to have a second look at that section,” he said.

“I am working on it and I assure teachers, well-meaning Ghanaians and parents that that aspect in the review of the curriculum we will work on it,” he added.

Professor Assanful said the issue came to his attention earlier in the day and was immediately referred to NaCCA’s technical leadership for verification.

“It was brought to my attention this morning, and honestly, I didn’t understand it well. So, I forwarded it to the Deputy Director in charge of Technical Services, who oversees curriculum development. He confirmed to me that indeed the document is from us so in terms of its authenticity, it is an authentic document which originated from us,” he said.

He acknowledged that the manual had passed through expert review stages, but admitted that the presence of the controversial definition raised questions about the internal checks.

“I drew the Deputy Director’s attention to the definition. It is obvious that during the preparation of the document, a subject expert reviewed it. He said he would contact the subject expert and find out how come that definition came into the document.

“He has communicated the expert’s response, but I am not convinced. I have engaged the Director-General as well, Prof. Bekoe,” he noted.

The Physical Education teachers’ manual defines gender identity as a person’s deeply felt internal experience of gender, which may or may not correspond to the sex assigned at birth.

It further states that gender may include being male, female or a blend of both, and goes beyond the binary notion of gender as male and female, recognising a diversity of gender experiences and expressions.

NaCCA has not announced a timeline for the completion of the review but says further communication will be issued to schools once revisions are concluded.