By Francis Kobena Tandoh
Advocates for Christ Ghana (A4CG), a faith-based organization, on Thursday condemned attempts by Education Minister Hon. Haruna Iddrisu to compel Christian mission schools to dilute their identities.
A statement signed by Edem Senanu, chairman of the organization, expressed concern over the emerging tension relating to religious expressions and the management of mission schools in the country.
The group has affirmed its support for the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, the Anglican Church of Ghana, and other Christian groups across the country.
“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,” read the statement.
The group says it expects a high level of neutrality on the part of the education minister and avoidance of a posture that seems to suggest partiality toward a particular faith.
“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,” it added.
According to the group, 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 warned 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.
The group is therefore calling 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.
It urged 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, and act as a neutral arbiter committed to safeguarding the rights, freedoms, and dignity of all learners, regardless of religious background.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the religious rights of all students in Ghana, including Muslim students currently at the center of a legal challenge involving Wesley Girls’ High School.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, November 25, he addressed concerns over alleged restrictions placed on Muslim students at the school, restrictions that are now the subject of a Supreme Court case. End item
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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