Don’t undermine mission schools’ identity — Prof. Bokpin warns

Economist and Finance Professor at the University of Ghana, Godfred Bokpin, has advised both the government and the public to handle the ongoing debate over religious rights in mission schools with great care.

He cautions that any reforms must protect the identity and long-standing contributions of these schools.

His comments follow growing national discussions after the Supreme Court ordered Wesley Girls’ High School to respond within 14 days to allegations that Muslim students are being restricted from praying, fasting, or wearing the hijab.

In an interview on Saturday, November 29, Prof. Bokpin emphasized that mission schools whether Christian or Muslim have played a crucial role in providing quality education alongside the state, and their rights and traditions should not be undermined.

“If we consider the full picture, the state allows mission schools the space to practise and promote their faith, and this partnership has worked for decades. No religious organisation will willingly surrender its control over its mission schools, they simply won’t,” he said.

He added that it is naturally challenging for one religious group to fully practise its beliefs within a mission school belonging to another faith, and this reality must be openly recognized.

“I believe we should be moving towards unity that recognises diversity,” he said.

“We must promote tolerance that gives each group a safe space to operate. As the state supports all institutions, that approach becomes more sustainable.”

Prof. Bokpin drew from his personal experience attending a Muslim mission school, explaining the nuanced differences even within Islamic groups.

Orthodox Muslims, he said, often feel uncomfortable in Ahmadiyya schools due to differences in belief and teaching yet the Ahmadis were among the earliest to embrace Western-style education and invested heavily in establishing schools.

He commended the progress Muslim communities have made in promoting education, especially for girls, describing it as a “momentum shift” from past practices.

However, he emphasised that this new appreciation for formal education must not become a basis to dilute, override, or undermine the values upon which mission schools were built.

“This late realisation should not grant anyone the right to weaken mission schools for the investment they have made over the years,” he cautioned.

“They have contributed significantly to national development.”