Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has expressed strong concern over “an inappropriate sex education programme” slated for inclusion in Sri Lanka’s school curriculum next year.
Speaking at the reopening of the renovated St. Stephen’s Church in Kinadeniya, Mirigama, on Saturday, the Cardinal said the initiative, due to be rolled out in January under the government’s education reforms, was being introduced under the influence of international organisations.
He noted that under the proposed reforms, sex education would be imparted from Grade 6, with teachers undergoing training and seminars being organised to support the new curriculum. “Is this really education? Isn’t it the responsibility of parents to guide their children on such matters at the appropriate time?” he asked.
Cardinal Ranjith further alleged that the programme included content on same-sex relationships and birth control, which he claimed were promoted with the backing of foreign agencies such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). “They have funded the government and the Education Ministry, printed books, and are now implementing a plan that misleads our children,” he charged.
He warned that the curriculum, scheduled to begin on Jan 27, could undermine the country’s cultural and moral foundations. “This is an attempt to corrupt our children. They are trying to import the values of a decayed Western world that has abandoned religion and morality,” the Cardinal said.
Cardinal Ranjith urged the government to halt the implementation of the proposed lessons. “If the Education Ministry acts in ways that lead innocent children astray, we must oppose it completely,” he said.