Christian Leaders in Ghana Clarify Government’s Support for Mission Schools Partnership, not “state takeover”

Accra, 26 November, 2025 / 4:47 PM

Christian leaders in Ghana have clarified that government support to mission schools must not be mistaken for state ownership but a collaborative partnership.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, November 25, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) and the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) addressed what they described as “highly sensitive and widely debated” issues concerning the full religious practice of non-Christian students, particularly Muslims, in Christian mission schools.

The Christian leaders explained that their commitment to preserving the Christian identity of mission schools stems from the fact that the state did not establish the institutions.

“Our historical and proprietorship claim forms the cornerstone of our argument. Christian mission schools were not created by the state. They arose because the different Churches saw education as a central expression of our missionary mandate,” they said.

The leaders explained, “We acquired the land, built the schools, trained the teachers, and shaped the ethos long before the modern State of Ghana existed. When the government began assisting us, primarily by paying teacher salaries and regulating curricula, it joined an already functioning system.”

“State support, therefore, is a partnership, not a takeover. The ownership and identity of these schools reside with us. Government assistance does not diminish this identity, nor does it confer the right to alter the core religious character that defines these institutions,” the Christian leaders said.

They emphasised that financial assistance from the state must not be mistaken for state ownership, “nor does it grant any party-governmental or religious authority to redefine the character of the institutions we established.”

The Christian leaders referred to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) adopted by Government-Assisted and Private Mission Schools, which was validated on 15 April 2024, and explained the long-standing partnership between the Government and Mission bodies.

The GCBC, and CCG members said that the MoU recognizes the vital role of the Missions and draws on the 1992 Constitution's guarantee of equal educational opportunities.

“The guidelines address issues such as fasting, dress codes, and worship spaces, and they appropriately emphasize inclusivity, tolerance, and respect for diversity within the established framework of our schools,” they said.

They explained, “Our understanding of the historical partnership between Church and State is equally important. For generations, the State has collaborated with the Church in education, healthcare, and social services, always respecting our identity and mission.”

The Christian leaders said that the State chose to support mission schools because the churches had already built a trusted and successful system. For this reason, they said that the government’s role is to support, not redefine, the mission that has made these schools pillars of national development.

The leaders warned that any attempt to override the Christian’s religious identity risks damaging this longstanding relationship and discouraging future partnerships that benefit the West African nation.

The Christian leaders further explained that their stance is rooted in the very heart of their missionary purpose, adding that the mission schools were never established merely to instruct in mathematics, literature, or science.

The mission schools, they said, “were founded to form young people holistically-intellectually, morally, and spiritually in the light of the Gospel. Christian worship, formation, and values are not peripheral additions; they are integral to our identity and the very reason for our existence.”

“To demand that we secularize our environment or remove Christian practices is to undermine the foundational mission that brought these institutions into being,” the Christian leaders said in their November 25 statement.

They emphasize that their position is irrevocably grounded in history, protected by constitutional law, and affirmed by a proven educational philosophy.

“We demonstrate respect for the rights of all students by welcoming those of other faiths while upholding their freedom to choose schools that reflect their own beliefs,” they said in the three-page statement that the GCBC president, Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, and the CCG Chairman, Rev. Bliss Divine Agbeko, co-signed.

They added, “Our parallel duty is to safeguard the Christian identity, values, and practices that are the defining heart of our schools and have profoundly shaped Ghanaian society for generations.”

“Defending this heritage is not an act of exclusion; it is a vital affirmation of religious freedom, institutional autonomy, and the enduring pursuit of educational excellence,” the Christian leaders said.