Durban - The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) said on Monday that the country's basic education minister and her department should hang their heads in shame for prioritising the teaching of masturbation over maths, science and Information Technology.

ACDP president, reverend Kenneth Meshoe, made the statement in response to an article that appeared in the Sunday Times, which stated: “from next year textbooks from grade 4 to 12 will reflect cutting edge curricula that treats masturbation, gender nonconformity and single parent families as a mainstream.”

The article continued to state: “masturbation is normalised, and is threaded through the curricula from grade 4. It begins with self-pride, self-image, body diversity, genital differences, genital changes, and touching oneself for pleasure.”

“What the Department of Basic Education plans to do is wicked and must be stopped," said Meshoe via an emailed statement.

“Minister Angie Motshekga and her department should hang their heads in shame for prioritising masturbation over maths, science and IT. We encourage parents to join the ACDP in rejecting this evil plan,” he said.