Christian Council, Catholic Bishops Defend Religious Practices in Mission Schools

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Christian Council of Ghana have affirmed that Christian mission schools cannot alter their long-established religious practices, despite growing national debate over the rights of Muslim students in such institutions.

Their statement comes as the Supreme Court hears a case accusing Wesley Girls’ Senior High School of preventing Muslim students from praying, fasting and observing other religious rites. The Court has permitted Democracy Hub to join the case as amicus curiae, with the school given 14 days to file its response.

Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine has already dismissed allegations of discrimination, arguing that Wesley Girls’, as a Methodist institution, is constitutionally entitled to maintain rules consistent with its Christian identity.

In the joint statement released on Tuesday, November 25, the Christian bodies said mission schools were established by churches long before the Ghanaian state existed, and their identity cannot be changed simply because government now supports them. They stressed that state support is a partnership—not an ownership that gives government power to redefine the schools’ religious character.

The groups noted that parents voluntarily choose mission schools because of their discipline, academic excellence and moral formation, making it unreasonable to demand that such institutions modify their Christian ethos to accommodate all religious preferences. They warned that allowing parallel religious practices could weaken school discipline, unity and administrative order.

They also raised constitutional arguments, saying freedom of religion allows Christian communities to run schools that reflect their faith. Forcing mission schools to dilute their Christian foundations, they said, would violate these freedoms.

The statement referenced the April 15, 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Government-Assisted and Private Mission Schools, which affirms the partnership between the state and mission bodies while promoting inclusivity within a Christian school framework.

In conclusion, the Christian Council and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference maintained that preserving the Christian identity of mission schools is legal, historically justified and essential to maintaining their educational philosophy. They emphasised that protecting this heritage is not exclusionary but a defence of religious freedom, institutional autonomy and longstanding academic excellence.