Hands Off Our Kids: Stop the Poison in the Classroom!

By Chernor M. Jalloh
“Every culture has the right to set its own moral boundaries. But when our classrooms become battlefields for imported ideologies, the soul of our nation’s future is under siege.”
A storm is brewing in Sierra Leone—and it’s coming from an unexpected place: our own classrooms.New changes to the Senior Secondary School (SSS1) syllabus have left many parents, teachers, and traditional leaders fuming with anger and disbelief. Page 21 of the syllabus, under the heading “Types of Sexual Identities,” introduces students to homosexuality, bisexuality, and other sexual orientations, sparking a fierce debate about where education ends—and indoctrination begins.
To countless Sierra Leoneans, this is not education—it’s cultural invasion, plain and simple.
Our nation, built firmly on religious values and ancestral customs, has always cherished the traditional family structure. Here, homosexuality is not just taboo—it is seen as a violation of moral order and a threat to the very foundation of community life.
Yet, the syllabus boldly pushes students to “recognize,” “acknowledge,” and even “analyze” same-sex relationships within Sierra Leone’s legal framework. This isn’t just raising awareness—it’s laying the groundwork for a fundamental reshaping of our children’s worldview, without any national debate or consent.And here’s the kicker: even in the so-called liberal West, where these ideologies originated, there’s massive pushback!
In Canada, thousands of parents marched in the streets during the “1 Million March 4 Children” protest, demanding an end to LGBTQ+ education in schools without parental consent. In Florida, the “Parental Rights in Education Act”(dubbed by media as the “Don’t Say Gay” law) bars teachers from discussing sexual orientation in lower grades.
In the UK, furious Muslim parents pulled their children out of schools after learning about LGBTQ+ content being taught without warning, arguing that it clashed violently with their faith and values.If liberal democracies are struggling with this, how can a culturally fragile country like ours bear such an ideological load?
We must wake up!The psychological confusion caused by teaching these subjects to impressionable adolescents—already navigating the turbulent waters of teenage life—can be devastating. Conflicting messages from home, school, and society will leave many children torn between loyalty to their roots and pressure to conform to alien narratives.
And let’s ask the hard questions:
Was this curriculum born from community consultation?
Did religious leaders, parents, and educators approve this controversial move?
Or was it quietly smuggled in through foreign-funded “education reforms” with hidden strings attached?
If the latter, Sierra Leone must tread carefully. Trading our cultural soul for donor dollars is a bargain we cannot afford to make.
Now, let’s be clear: no one is calling for ignorance or hate. Global realities must be known. But there’s a right way and a wrong way. Awareness should never mean blind endorsement. Understanding the world should never mean abandoning your own identity.
Our Ministry of Education must listen. We demand a national conversation—one that respects our traditions, our faiths, and our people. Education must build critical thinkers, not cultural strangers in their own land.
Let’s defend the minds of our children before it’s too late.
Let’s teach them the world without stealing their roots.
Hands off our kids. Our values are not for sale.