The Mozambican government will remove sex education content from a biology textbook for middle school students next year, after an outcry on social networks, an Education ministry official said last Tuesday.
Portions of a chapter on sexual orientation and masturbation have been shared virally since an anonymous Facebook user posted them last week.
The textbook, titled “The Secret of Life,” published by Portuguese publisher Texto Editores, has been used by Mozambican students for 18 years.
Under pressure from public opinion, the government hastily decided that the “problematic” parts would be removed from a new edition that will be used by fifth graders, who are about 12 years old, starting in 2022.
“For us, the topic of sexuality is important and should continue to be addressed,” said Education Department spokeswoman Gina Guibunda. But “we recognize that in this book, the theme may have been treated in a way that divides opinions.”
“Sexuality will still be discussed, but we will do it in a way that does not create problems in society,” she added.
The book’s passage on sexual orientation states, in part, “Sometimes it can be more comfortable to have a relationship with someone of the same sex (…) this is called a same-sex relationship. This choice can be temporary or permanent. Among some teenagers, the fear of becoming homosexual prevails. This fear is aggravated by the brutal actions of their parents or family”.
Mozambique decriminalized homosexuality in 2015.
The book goes on to talk about masturbation as a way to “know your body, how it works,” a practice that is “natural, that allows you to prepare for sexual life” but “surrounded by all sorts of myths and beliefs.”