Interview in New Vision

Damn, had missed this interview

Uganda: The Education Ministry is Against Homosexuality

Aggrey Kibenge11 April 2009

Kampala — Following the recent revelation by a self-confessed homosexual, George 'Georgina' Oundo, that schools were the primary recruitment grounds for gay activists, Sunday Vision's Moses Mugalu had an interview with Aggrey Kibenge, the Ministry of Sports and Education's Principal Assistant Secretary and Public Relations Officer. Below are excerpts.

Has the ministry received any reports about the problem of homosexuality in schools?

Yes. The very first report was about a year-and-half ago. It was in the form of an email from a parent outside this country, I think based in the US, who claimed that there had been attempts to sodomise her child, a student at St. Mary's College Kisubi.

She said her efforts to talk to the school administration on this matter had been rebuffed by the school administration, claiming such a thing could not happen in a school like Kisubi.

The parent accused the school covering up the problem, because they have a reputation to protect. I forwarded the complaint to the commissioner responsible for secondary education and asked him to investigate and get back to me. The commissioner reported back that the school administration had denied condoning, or even being aware of the practice, since no case had been brought to their attention.

The commissioner then instituted an independent investigation, which also found nothing to support the allegations. As a ministry, this is the only case we've handled so far. The ministry is against the promotion of sodomy, as some people call it, or homosexuality and lesbianism in schools.

What do you think is influencing students into getting involved in this practice?

I know that young people of school-going age - the adolescents - are at a formative stage where they are keen to try out new things. They are inquisitive about what is happening in the world around them.

Since the world is now one global village, it is possible that they are exposed to cultures and values which are alien to our own culture here in Uganda.

What is the ministry doing to fight the spread of homosexuality in schools?

As part of the ministry's contribution in the fight against HIV/AIDS, we've discussed with students vices like drugs abuse, masturbation, homosexuality and others, which can pre-dispose them to HIV/AIDS.

I have received a number of delegations from different human rights groups - claiming that, by coming out explicitly to fight these tendencies, we're infringing on the rights of some young people, even some teachers. I always tell them, "we as a ministry have no apologies over that because our firm belief is that this is a pervasion of values."

 

Can you name some of these groups?

 

I can't recall their names offhand, but some have even published reports criticising our approach. You have heard about the Presidential Initiative on AIDS Strategy for Communication to Youths (PIACY) programme; it's our main vehicle for reaching out to children in schools on matters concerning HIV/AIDS and to promote a safe lifestyle. Through this programme, we've been emphatic on what we consider a perversion of our values and homosexuality is clearly one of those things that we wouldn't want to promote in schools.

But we also know that there are strong lobbies world over trying to promote some of these tendencies. Some of them consider our talking about it and discouraging students from getting involved as a direct attack on them and an infringement on the rights of individuals.

Recently a self-confessed homosexual George 'Georgina' Oundo admitted to recruiting school children into the practice. What is the ministry's reaction to that revelation?

Of course, it's shocking that somebody is coming out to confess that for all this time he's been enticing young people to join the gay movement. And, as you can see, this is a very systematic group with a lot of inducements that have been put out to the young people to join the movement, and he even tells his own story of how he was attracted into movement.

As a ministry, we are not moving out or doing much more than we had already started because, as part of our ongoing programmes, we built the component of life skills into our programmes within the schools - the PIACY programme especially. It's through this programme that we interact with the young people and teachers in schools to discuss what may be considered risky behaviour and good moral values to the young people.

We are working in partnership with various stakeholders, like religious groups, to promote positive behaviour and good moral values among young people.

We have already come up with an acceptable package that incorporates religious, cultural and ethical values.

 

Oundo's revelation is shocking, but maybe it will inspire us to continue with what we're doing in schools. It adds a new dimension to the outreach programme that we started as a ministry in terms of what to look out for, and what to warn teachers and the young people about.

Q: There are allegations that the problem is mainly prevalent in Catholic-founded schools. Is that true?

A: I wouldn't say so, much as I've told you that the one single case that has been officially registered with us is from Kisubi, a Catholic-founded school. I wouldn't use that as a basis to generalise that the problem is predominantly in Catholic Church-founded schools.

I know that if such a problem exists, it would be more prevalent in boarding than in day schools.

Q: Why?

A: Because in boarding schools young people are confined in an environment for a very long time. Under such circumstances, a vice like homosexuality or lesbianism can very easily find fertile ground. Day schools don't offer the same opportunity, since after school, students return to their respective homes. So where would they do it from, on the way, or at home? I think the problem is largely within boarding schools and not schools associated with a particular faith.

 

Q: The other allegation is that homosexuality is more rampart in single sex schools...

 

A: Possibly. You know as young people grow up, there are various ways of expressing oneself in that form. And even when these relationships may not grow into sexual relationships, there are ways in which young people in mixed schools interact and as a result that excess energy has a way of being let off, which may not be the case within single-sex schools.

 

Q: Some parents are concerned that some school heads are not doing their work; leaving students on their own. Then there's the issue of dormitories being congested. Do you think those two factors might be contributing to the spread of homosexuality in schools?

A: They would, if the school administrations fail to fulfil their responsibilities. As a ministry, we expect the school administration to put in place a leadership system to guide and supervise all the operations within a school. They consist of administration, the head teacher, teaching staff and non-teaching staff.

 

All these are part of the team around these young people to guide their growth and development. Should there be any laxity on the part of any of them certainly the intensity of some of these weaknesses that are being raised will increase. But, to me, it's a shared responsibility so parents shouldn't leave it to the schools because I believe that bad influence exists a lot more outside the school.

 

Q: Has the ministry come across the so-called 'children toolkits' which Oundo claims are circulated into schools by the gay and lesbians coalition?

 

A: No, but I've read and was recently contacted by a journalist about a publication put out by UNICEF into schools. They were allegations that the UNICEF publication had materials promoting that kind of vice and I told him as a ministry we didn't have any idea about that publication.

 

Q: There are allegations that homosexuality movements are putting a lot of money into such ventures to promote the vice. Does the ministry monitor sources of funding for private schools?

 

A: Our monitoring is at the level of registering schools. Before any school is granted a licence to operate, there are certain conditions that must be met. One of them is to provide information on the source of funding and even details about the school bank account to establish whether the proprietor has the capacity to run it.

 

Of course, none of them would, I assume or presume, willingly surrender information that "we're being financed by this group or the other". So the opportunity is very slim for the ministry to establish the funding sources apart from the information that's availed to us.

 

Q: Should we blame poor remuneration of teachers, especially those under UPE and USE, for the spread of the vice in schools? To make ends meet, many teachers start other businesses on the side or part-time with several other schools, leading to a lapse in supervision and opening a window of opportunity for those promoting gay activities.

 

A: I think from time immemorial the remuneration of teachers has always been a point of concern, for not only the teaching profession but also even us the ministry. Historically, teachers have been poorly paid in relation to other public officers (civil servants). And I know that the Executive has explained that it's a question of what the economy can support at a given point in time.

 

Anti-gay hysteria flames fanned

UNICEF book supports teen homosexuality
Friday, 3rd April, 2009

* 15,000 copies distributed in over 30 districts
* Ethics minister Nsaba Buturo calls it a disaster

BY SUSAN MUYIYI

The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF has come under sharp criticism for distributing in Uganda a teenagers’ guide book that says homosexuality is normal.

Parents complain that the book misguides the youth; ethics minister Nsaba Buturo calls it a disaster, and education ministry officials say they know nothing about it.

Fifteen thousand copies of The Teenagers Toolkit, were printed in 2002 and distributed in over 30 districts, according to UNICEF. The book, produced in collaboration with the UK-based Health Link World wide, aims at educating 15-19 year olds about their sexual and reproductive health.

Whereas the book generally talks about adolescent sexual health and gives useful life skills, the section on same sex relationships on page 86 has drawn outrage from a section of parents.

It reads: “Many people are sexually attracted to people of the same sex or attracted to both males and females. We are born with these feelings about who we like sexually, and who we do not like sexually – it is natural.”

The section adds, “It is quite normal when you are growing up to fall in love with someone of your own sex. This can happen even though you may grow up to have sexual feelings for the opposite sex, marry, and have children.”

It goes ahead to say, a peer educator can support someone who is not sure about their sexual feelings. The peer educators, says the book, can also support gay or lesbian teenagers who fear to tell others about their status. “The important thing is to be open minded and to show love and respect to all your friends.”

It is also mentioned that the only way anal sex is safe is for stopping pregnancy.

Michel Sidibe, the UNICEF representative in Uganda at the time, in the foreword, noted that the book would assist adolescent peer educators in their work of educating and influencing other young people on matters related to their health and development.

The book is also aimed at developing their skills and building their self-confidence in facilitating sensitive topics on sex and sexuality.

Alarmed by the contents of page 86, the Executive Director of the family life network (FLN), Steven Langa, is mobilising parents to petition the President against the book and homosexuality in general. He says the book is not only against Ugandan cultural norms, but also offends family values.

“We parents are disgusted by these events. We feel terrible. How can our children be exposed to the gruesome mechanics of sex as expressed in this book?” asks Langa.

Langa said as a parents’ network they want to have a say in the sex education curriculum for children. “They are teaching sex education without morals. What messages are being passed on to our children? It is poison and for poison to kill, it doesn’t have to be given in large amounts.”

Likewise Buturo expressed shock on being shown page 86. “This is disturbing and disastrous. I am going to investigate. Who are the authors of the book?” he asked.

Aggrey Kibenge, the education ministry’s publicist, says he has not seen the book. He, however, said the ministry does not approve of homosexuality. “As a ministry, we wouldn’t promote such material. It is not something that we would associate with. I have not seen the book.”

Kibenge says whereas UNICEF has often partnered with the ministry to develop life skills education for young people, they are very careful about the messages passed on to the children.

“We don’t encourage masturbation, drug use and homosexuality.”

Yusuf Nsubuga, the acting director of basic secondary education (HIV/AIDS) programme under the ministry, says he hasn’t heard about the book.

Araali Kusemererwa, the in charge of the school health education programme, also said he had never seen or even heard of the book.

Education Minister Namirembe Bitamazire says she only learnt about the book this week and she has not yet read it. She promises to take up the matter with relevant authorities. “I can’t comment about the contents because I haven’t yet read it,” says Bitamazire.

While acknowledging the right of adolescents without discrimination, UNICEF says they do not advocate for any sexual orientation. Rather, UNICEF says the book is intended to help adolescents make decisions. The agency adds that International Covenants on Human Rights prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

“The information the book contains is based on international best practice on adolescent development issues (including adolescent sexuality), and aims at helping young persons to make informed decisions about their lives as responsible members of their community,” says Chulho Hyun, the Chief Communication Officer, UNICEF Uganda.

According to Hyun, the book is not given to adolescents directly neither did it target schools. “The publication was designed as one of a range of tools to assist peer educators and other professionals, trained in age and culturally-sensitive delivery of information, to address issues that adolescents confront -- not for adolescents themselves.”

Hyun says they distributed the book through district local governments. It was part of the Adolescent Rights to Self-Protection and Friendly Services sub-programme of the HIV/AIDS and Rights to Self-Protection Programme. Under the programme, the book was to be given to selected teenagers who were carefully trained to educate their peers.

“It would also be important to note that peer education is not limited only to HIV-prevention efforts, as has been shown as a best practice internationally, but is one strategy in a community-wide effort,” Hyun explains.

Kibaale, Adjumani and Mbarara are some of the districts where the books were distributed.

“I cannot confirm the number of districts in which the books were distributed because I was not working in the country at the time. However, UNICEF strictly distributed the books through the local governments and not to schools.”

Whatever the method of distribution, the teenagers’ toolkit has offered a battle ground for a clash between local cultural norms and Western values promoted by an international agency.