Most Rev. Prof. Johnson K, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, has said the Wesley Girls’ High School (WGHS) has accepted all faiths for over 189 years.
According to the Methodist Church, Wesley Girls High School is not engaged in any discriminatory practices since its founding in 1836 by Harriet Wrigley.
The statement highlighted that for nearly two centuries, the school has educated students from diverse faiths.
The Church revealed it has not been formally notified about the court case, but they are taking steps to obtain official records to enable its legal team to respond appropriately.
Parts of the statement issued by the Methodist Church read, “Over the years, WGHS has educated Methodists, Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslims, Eckists, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, Agnostics, Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and many others who have gone on to contribute meaningfully to society,” the Church said.
“The Methodist Church Ghana considers discrimination to be fundamentally inconsistent with Christian teaching, and therefore incompatible with our mission,” the statement added.
They emphasised that the school’s traditions and rules are designed to maintain unity, structure and fairness across the student body, warning that creating separate systems of living and worship for different faith groups would “inevitably lead to segregation and undermine the cohesion and collective traditions of the school.”
“We recognise and respect the constitutional right of every student to practice her faith or non-faith within the framework of WGHS traditions.”
“The Methodist Church Ghana remains committed to dialogue and collaboration with all relevant stakeholders to ensure peace, understanding, and mutual respect among all faiths and traditions”, the statement concluded.
The commotion follows Shafic Osman, a Ghanaian lawyer and PhD candidate at the London School of Economics, who 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.
Also, Haruna Iddrisu, the Education Minister, speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, 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.
See the post below:
For over 189 years WGHS has faithfully pursued the principle of training the HEAD, HEART and HAND for all students, without regard to race, creed, religion or background.
— The Methodist Church Ghana (@MethodistChGh) November 28, 2025
The school has always openly professed its faith in God and maintained its Methodist traditions. pic.twitter.com/5krvl0aXUh