Campaigners Urge Liberia to Halt Child Sex Education

Group Calls for Review of Curriculum Introduced Under 2019 Public Health Law

A campaign group is urging the Liberia government to suspend the teaching of sex and sexuality to children as young as nine, warning that the approach could spread to other countries across Africa.

The Centre for African Policy Research and Advisory has issued a statement expressing concern over elements of Liberia’s national curriculum introduced following the country’s 2019 Public Health Law on Sexual and Reproductive Health.

According to the organisation, the curriculum requires Grade 4 pupils, typically aged 9 to 10, to understand their rights regarding sex and sexuality. It also states that Grade 5 learners are asked to reflect on when they believe it would be appropriate to begin having sex and explain their reasoning during classroom presentations.

The group argues that these requirements form part of mandatory comprehensive sexuality education introduced into Liberia’s education system under the 2019 legislation.

Segun Adebayo called for what he described as “a decisive African pushback” against such educational approaches, saying Liberia should become the starting point for broader discussions across the continent.

The campaign group is urging policymakers to review the curriculum, increase parental involvement in education policy, and ensure that classroom content is appropriate for children’s ages and aligned with community values.

Supporters of comprehensive sexuality education, meanwhile, generally argue that age-appropriate health education can help children understand personal safety, health, and wellbeing, while critics maintain that some aspects should be left primarily to parents and families.

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