Catholic Bishops criticize Education Minister for reigniting religious tensions in schools
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has criticised recent comments by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, who cautioned schools against violating students’ rights to practise their religion.
According to the Bishops, the Minister’s remarks were unnecessary and risk reopening religious tensions that had already been resolved.
On Tuesday, November 25, 2025, the Minister told Parliament that no student should be stopped from practising their faith and warned that the Ministry would not tolerate any breach of students’ religious rights.
His comments came after the Supreme Court asked Wesley Girls’ Senior High School to respond to allegations made in a suit filed by lawyer Shafic Osman that the school restricts Muslim students from observing parts of their religion.
In an interview, the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, said all major religious groups, including Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, SDAs, and even the Police Service, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) just three months ago on how to manage religious tolerance in schools.
“It is unfortunate. We do not understand why the Minister is bringing back an issue that has already been settled,” he said.
He noted that the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service also signed the MoU, which was intended to guide schools as they reopened.
He explained that the MoU allows mission schools to operate in accordance with their founding values and principles, while ensuring that students of minority faiths are not discriminated against and are given reasonable space to practise their religion.
“If parents choose a Catholic school, they must understand the values that guide that school. Catholics will not abandon their principles so that every religion is practised without order. The same applies when a Catholic child attends a Muslim or Presbyterian school, they must follow that school’s rules. Without this, schools become unmanageable,” he said.
Most Rev. Gyamfi added that he was surprised the Minister would reignite a debate that religious leaders had already resolved through dialogue.
“I don’t know what he hoped to achieve by those statements except to stir misunderstandings or religious conflict. Politicians must be careful not to use religion in ways that create problems for the country,” he warned.
He emphasised that religious bodies are fully committed to the MoU and see no need to reopen issues that have already been settled.
“For us, nothing has changed. What we agreed on is what will continue to guide our schools. So why bring this back?” he asked.
The Bishops maintain that the existing framework addresses all concerns and should continue to guide all stakeholders.