Teaching use of condoms in schools: Health and Education ministries at odds

8 September 2025 07:32 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 21 Bookmark

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A tussle has developed between the Ministries of Health and Education over plans to integrate teaching condom use into Sri Lanka’s school curriculum, Daily Mirror learns.

According to informed sources, despite the health ministry officials putting forward the proposal to integrate the HIV prevention measures including condom use, the Education ministry has reportedly delayed the move citing ongoing educational reforms the move citing the ongoing educational reforms.

The Ministry of Health’s National STD/AIDS Control Programme recently recommended that HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention measures—including condom use, Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)—be formally introduced to students.

Accordingly, the National Institute of Education (NIE) has drafted proposals to include these preventive measures in the Grade 10 Science textbook, with the objective of providing age-appropriate, evidence-based knowledge to bridge gaps in the current syllabus.

However, Daily Mirror learns that the move has sparked a tug of war between the two ministries, with the Health Ministry pushing for the reforms while education officials remain cautious about the scope and framing of the content.

A senior official from the Health Ministry noted that a recent review by the IEC, Advocacy, and Condom Promotion Committee of the National AIDS Council highlighted “serious shortcomings in the present syllabus,” stressing that students are left inadequately informed about key prevention strategies