Colombo — Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has raised strong objections to what he described as an “inappropriate sexual education program” being prepared for inclusion in Sri Lanka’s school curriculum from next year.
Speaking at the reopening ceremony of the renovated St. Stephen’s Church in the Meerigama–Kinadeniya area, the Cardinal alleged that the proposed program — expected to be introduced in January as part of education reforms — is being developed under the influence of international organizations.
According to Cardinal Ranjith, the new syllabus is designed to introduce sexual education from Grade 6, with teacher training sessions and seminars already underway. “Is this really education? Isn’t it the parents’ responsibility to teach such matters to their children at the right time?” he questioned.
He further claimed that the curriculum includes content related to same-sex relationships and birth control, allegedly supported by foreign agencies such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). “They have funded the government and the Ministry of Education, printed books, and are now pushing a plan that misleads our children,” he said.
Warning that the program is scheduled to commence on January 27, the Cardinal said it threatens to undermine Sri Lanka’s cultural and moral values. “This is an attempt to destroy our children by bringing in the values of a decayed Western world that has lost religion and morality,” he remarked.
Cardinal Ranjith urged the government to halt the planned lessons and appealed directly to the President to intervene. “If the Ministry of Education is acting in ways that lead innocent children astray, we must completely reject it,” he added.
