The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) and the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) have issued a joint statement, declaring that the core Christian identity and ethos of mission schools are non-negotiable and cannot be altered.
The joint statement has been issued following an ongoing national debate about accommodating non-Christian students, particularly Muslims.
The statement, released on November 25, 2025, noted that the tradition and character of these institutions are rooted in a historical proprietorship claim.
The Churches established the schools—acquiring land, constructing buildings, and defining the ethos—long before the modern Ghanaian state existed.
According to the Conference and the CCG, the subsequent financial assistance from the government, primarily for teacher salaries and curriculum regulation, constitutes a partnership, not a takeover.
“Financial assistance from the state must not be mistaken for state ownership, nor does it grant any party… the authority to redefine the character of the institutions we established,” the statement said.
The bodies posited that the mission to provide holistic formation, which includes Christian worship, values, and formation, is the very reason for the schools’ existence.
They also argued that demanding secularisation or the removal of Christian practices would undermine this foundational mission.
Additionally, the Conference and CCG said it is a constitutional right for Christian communities to operate schools that express their faith, arguing that forcing them to suppress their identity to accommodate every religious group would infringe upon their religious liberty.
They further referenced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) validated on April 15, 2024, which they state affirms the partnership and emphasizes inclusivity within the established framework of their schools.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
