The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) have weighed into the debate of the rights of non-Christians to practise their religions in Christian mission schools.
The issue has reared its head again following a suit filed against Wesley Girls’ High School over the barring of Muslim students from observing their religious rites.
But in a joint statement issued on Tuesday, November 25, CCG and GCBC insisted that the identity and ethos of their schools are paramount and must be protected.
This, they further stress, must not be seen as hostility towards other faiths.
“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 curricular – 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.”
Jointly signed by Chair of CCG Rt. Rev. Dr. Divine Bliss Agbeko and President of GCBC Most Rev.Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the statement also insisted that parents and guardians have a choice in the schools their children and wards can attend.
“No student is compelled to attend a Christian mission school. Parents choose our institutions freely, often because of their proven track record in academic excellence, discipline and moral formation.
“They are aware from the outset that our schools operate within a Christian worldview, gather for Christian worship and uphold Christian values.”
The two bodies said this is their position grounded in principle and protected by law.