President John Dramani Mahama has called on faith-based schools to respect religious diversity, emphasizing that the recognition of different faith practices is already guaranteed under existing agreements.
Speaking during a meeting with the National Peace Council on Wednesday, President Mahama addressed the ongoing dispute over the rights of Muslim students in mission schools, urging school authorities to adhere to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) established between faith-based organisations.
“We note that somebody has filed a case before the Supreme Court, which has yet to pronounce on the issue. But if you read what the faith-based organisations agreed in their own MoU, I don’t see the point of this dispute. The MoU explicitly requires recognition of diversity,” he said.
“I do not want to speculate, but I think the Supreme Court has its work cut out for it,” he added.
The remarks come amid a lawsuit filed against Wesley Girls’ Senior High School by Ghanaian citizen Shafic Osman, who alleges that the school has systematically restricted Muslim students from practicing their religion. The plaintiff is seeking declarations that the school’s policies violate the 1992 Constitution and an order directing the Ghana Education Service to issue constitutionally compliant guidelines for religious observance in public schools.
The Supreme Court has directed Wesley Girls’ SHS to formally respond to the allegations. The case has sparked national debate on religious freedom and the obligations of mission schools to accommodate students of diverse faiths.
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