Advocates for Christ Ghana (A4CG) through its Education Gate, joins the Christian community in expressing concern over the emerging tensions relating to religious expressions and the management of Mission Schools in Ghana.
Of particular concern is the continued recurrence of policy pronouncements and administrative posturing by state officials that seem to unduly pressure Christian Mission Schools to alter their time-tested values and operating principles in the name of human rights.
To this end, we unequivocally affirm and support the factual and principled stance taken by the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the Anglican Church of Ghana and all other Christian Groups across the nation. These institutions have historically steered the moral and educational foundations of our nation through the Mission Schools under their care, guided by values that promote discipline, excellence, and Godliness.
The recent statements by the Minister of Education in Parliament concerning religious rights at Wesley Girls High School represent not only a distortion of the constitutional tenet of religious impartiality but also a potential violation of the duty of neutrality expected of a public office that serves citizens of all faiths.
The Minister of Education as the highest state official stewarding the educational aspirations of a multi-faith Ghana must maintain neutrality in word and deed, avoiding any posture that suggests bias toward one faith tradition.
Ghana has long benefited from the peaceful coexistence of Christians and Muslims, fostered by mutual respect and the freedom to establish schools and institutions that reflect each faith’s values. It is therefore dangerous to portray the enforcement of a Mission School’s internal policies as oppressive or in violation of religious freedoms, especially when attendance at such institutions is voluntary.
We must be reminded that:
● Islamic Mission Schools enforce internal rules consistent with their faith.
● Christian Mission Schools have long produced academic and moral excellence through structures that include religious discipline and health-conscious policies.
● The 1992 Constitution provides both freedom of religion and the freedom to associate, including through faith-based institutions.
Accordingly, we reject any attempt to force Christian Mission Schools to dilute their identity, and call on the Ministry of Education to clarify its commitment to neutrality, institutional autonomy, and respect for the diverse religious traditions that make Ghana a unique model of coexistence.
We urge the Ministry to:
● Engage in broad consultations with all faith-based stakeholders before issuing public pronouncements.
● Reaffirm the state’s commitment to non-interference in the internal regulations of Mission Schools.
● Uphold the commitment to hand back Mission Schools to their founding churches and missions, as promised in 2016.
● Act as a neutral arbiter committed to safeguarding the rights, freedoms, and dignity of all learners, regardless of religious background.
We urge all Ghanaians – Christian, Muslim, and other faiths – to preserve our unity and national peace by resisting one-sided narratives that undermine institutions built on decades of service, sacrifice, and excellence.
God bless our homeland Ghana.
Signed,
Edem Senanu
Chairman
About Advocates for Christ Ghana (A4CG)
Advocates for Christ Ghana is a non-partisan, non-denominational Christian advocacy movement committed to promoting godly values in public policy, national development, and civic discourse. A4CG engages strategically across key societal “gates” including education, family, politics, media, business, governance, and health, to ensure that Ghana’s laws, policies, and cultural directions align with God’s standards of righteousness, justice, and truth.
Education Gate of A4CG
The Education Gate is A4CG’s dedicated platform for influencing Ghana’s educational landscape through Godly worldview, policy advocacy, and leadership engagement. It works to safeguard the moral and spiritual well-being of learners and educators, ensure the upholding of constitutional freedoms in academic institutions, and defend the right of Godly values in education-related decision-making.
For more information, contact www.advocates4christgh.com
Call/Whatsapp: +233 54 547 7771