A joint statement by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Christian Council of Ghana has boldly declared that Christian mission schools have the constitutional right to operate schools that express our faith.
According to the joint statement issued on November 25, 2025, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Christian Council of Ghana argued that the government assisting them with state assistance does not diminish the school’s identity.
They emphasised that mission schools are founded on faith, adding that they have the constitutional right to operate schools that express our faith.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and the Christian Council of Ghana statement reads, “Christian mission schools were not created by the state; they arose because the different Churches—Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, and others—saw education as a central expression of our missionary mandate. We acquired the land, built the schools, trained the teachers, and shaped the ethos long before the modern State of Ghana existed.
“When the government began assisting us—primarily by paying teacher salaries and regulating curricula—it joined an already functioning system. State support, therefore, is a partnership, not a takeover. The ownership and identity of these schools reside with us. Government assistance does not diminish this identity, nor does it confer the right to alter the core religious character that defines these institutions,” part of the statement reads.
It further added, “Our position is grounded in constitutional and legal principles, particularly the rights to freedom of association and religious liberty. These rights protect both individuals and institutions. As Christian communities, we have the constitutional right to operate schools that express our faith.
“Expecting us to suppress the Christian identity of our schools to accommodate every religious group would infringe upon this freedom. The religious character of our schools is essential, not incidental. Maintaining it is both legitimate and lawful, even while welcoming students from diverse backgrounds who freely choose to join our mission,” they wrote.
Their statement follows Dominic Ayine, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, who 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.
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.
Meanwhile, Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education, has said his ministry will not deny any Ghanaian the opportunity to practice any religion.
The Education Minister stressed that the government will ensure no student is deprived of their right to practise their religion.
According to him, Wesley Girls’ Muslim restrictions contradict the international human rights standards and Ghana’s Constitution.
His statement was in reaction to a lawsuit filed by lawyer Shafic Osman, which alleges that Muslim students at Wesley Girls’ High School are being prevented from observing their faith.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, Haruna Iddrisu 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.
