The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference is upset with Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu. They say his recent comments about schools and students’ religious rights are not needed. These words could cause old problems to start again.
On Tuesday, November 25, 2025, the minister spoke in Parliament. He said no school should stop a child from following their religion. He promised that the Ministry of Education will protect every student’s rights, no matter their faith.
His words came after a Supreme Court order. The court asked Wesley Girls’ Senior High School to answer claims that it stops Muslim students from practicing their faith. A lawyer named Shafic Osman filed the case.
The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, spoke to Citi News. He said religious groups solved this issue three months ago. Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, SDAs, and even the Police Service signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service also signed it. This MoU guides how schools handle religious tolerance.
“It is very unfortunate,” said Most Rev. Gyamfi. “We don’t know why the Minister has brought back issues that are already settled. The MoU was to help when schools reopened.”
He explained the MoU rules. Schools started by religious groups can follow their own values and beliefs. But they must not treat minority religions badly. They should give fair space for other faiths to practice.
“If parents pick a Catholic school, they must accept its rules,” he said. “Catholics will not change their principles for every religion. The same applies if a Catholic child goes to a Muslim or Presbyterian school. They must follow those rules. Or schools will be hard to manage.”
Most Rev. Gyamfi said he is surprised the minister spoke about this in Parliament again. “I don’t know what he wanted to do, except cause misunderstandings or religious fights. Politicians must be careful not to use religion to create problems. Ghana has enough challenges already,” he warned.
The Bishops say they will stick to the MoU. They see no reason to talk about this again. The agreed plan already fixes all worries and should guide everyone.
