The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has sharply criticised Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu over his recent remarks warning schools not to infringe on students’ rights to practise their religion, describing the comments as unnecessary and potentially disruptive.
The Conference argues that the Minister’s statements risk reopening tensions that religious bodies and education authorities had collectively resolved just months ago.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, the Education Minister stressed that no student should be denied the freedom to practise their faith, and that the Ministry would not tolerate any breach of religious rights. His comments followed a Supreme Court directive instructing Wesley Girls’ Senior High School to respond to a suit alleging restrictions on Muslim students’ religious practices, filed by private legal practitioner Shafic Osman.
Reacting in an interview with Citi News, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, expressed disappointment, noting that all major religious groups including Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, SDAs, and the Police Service signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) three months ago to promote and manage religious tolerance in schools.
“It is very unfortunate. We don’t know why the Minister has resurrected issues that have already been settled. Barely three months ago, all religious bodies signed an MoU on religious tolerance. The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service also signed, and this document was to guide the reopening of schools,” he said.
He explained that the MoU allows schools founded by religious bodies to operate according to their core values and philosophies while protecting minority faiths from discrimination and granting them reasonable space to practise their religion.
He stressed that parents who choose faith-based schools must be prepared to respect the ethos that governs those institutions. “Catholics will not abandon their principles so that every religion is practised anyhow. Similarly, if a Catholic child goes to a Muslim or Presbyterian school, they must respect that school’s rules. Otherwise, schools become ungovernable,” he stated.
Most Rev. Gyamfi said he was surprised that the Minister would reignite a debate that stakeholders had already addressed through dialogue and consensus.
“I don’t know what he was trying to achieve other than to awaken misunderstandings or religious conflict. Our politicians must be very careful not to use religion in ways that create problems for the country. We already have enough challenges,” he cautioned.
He reaffirmed that religious bodies remain committed to the MoU and see no justification for reopening the issue.
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