Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education, has, in an old video some months ago has surfaced since the Wesley Girls brouhaha has boldly stated that students must be allowed to practice their religion freely.
According to Haruna Iddrisu, students must be allowed to practice their religion in a Muslim or a Christian school.
He highlighted that Ghana’s constitution allows headmasters and head teachers to uphold those rights which are not divisible.
He boldly added that he expects strict compliance from all schools, whether they are Christian or a Muslim school.
Speaking at an event, the Education Minister stated, “We expect that students must be allowed to practice their religion freely, whether a Christian or a Muslim. In a Muslin school or a Christian school.
Allow them their freedom to profess the practice of the religion of their choice. I thought that I should make this public as we observe Independence Day. The constitution allows that the Headmaster, head teachers, and management of schools, being Christian or Muslim, will uphold the rights those right are not divisible, so I expect strict compliance”.
In recent times, speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 Haruna Iddrisu once again emphasised that the rights of every Ghanaian child must be respected and protected.
He stated, “There is some ongoing debate on restrictions on Muslim students in Wesley Girls, which conflicts with international human rights standards and even standards expected of us in Ghana’s Constitution and under Article 33(5) and 26(1) of the Constitution.
“We have a duty to uphold the rights of every Ghanaian child and to uphold the rights of every Ghanaian citizen. No right is divisible. We will not countenance any action by any person to deny any Ghanaian girl the opportunity to practice any religion,” he said.
Meanwhile, in court, the Supreme Court has ordered the Wesley Girls Senior High School to formally respond to allegations that it prevents Muslim students from practising their religion in the school.
On November 25, 2025, the Supreme Court gave Wesley Girls 14 days to provide answers to the claims made against them by private legal practitioner, Shafic Osman.
Also, the Attorney-General, during the sitting, applied to withdraw and replace an earlier Statement of Case.
However, Justice Gabriel Scott Pawmang, who presided over the case, allowed the replacement but argued that the amended statement did not address the core factual claims.
The court ruled that the first defendant, which is the Board of Governors of Wesley Girls’ School, should respond directly to the allegations.
The Supreme Court panel noted that claims that the school prevents Muslim students from practising their faith are particularly serious.
The Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, who was in court, did not oppose the Supreme Court directive.
He, however, argued that the amended Statement of Case primarily focused on the constitutional framework for assessing alleged restrictions on religious rights.
It will be recalled that, in December 2024, Shafic Osman, a Ghanaian lawyer and PhD candidate at the London School of Economics, sued Wesley Girls’ Senior High School and the Government at the Supreme Court.
The case filed cited Wesley Girls’ restricting Muslim students from wearing the hijab, fasting during Ramadan, and practising other aspects of their faith.
Shafic Osman argued that a public school cannot lawfully restrict the religious rights of Muslim students nor compel them to practise a faith they do not subscribe to.
He grounded his case in the Constitution and international human rights principles, arguing that Wesley Girls’ rules violate Ghana’s constitutional protections for religious freedom.
However, Dominic Ayine, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, has responded to a legal challenge over religious rules at Wesley Girls’ Senior High School (SHS).
According to the Attorney General, Wesley Girls is not a public school in the ordinary sense. It is a school owned by the Methodist Church but managed and funded by the government of Ghana.
The State funds it, yes, but that funding does not strip the school of its right to preserve its ownership and Methodist character.
Watch the video below:
Students must be allowed to practice their religion freely, whether in Muslim or Christian schools – Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu. pic.twitter.com/QcZohOsDfg
— The1957News (@The1957News) November 25, 2025