President Mahama Calls for End to Religious Discrimination in Schools
President John Dramani Mahama has called for an end to religious discrimination in Ghana’s educational institutions, emphasizing that the country’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion for all citizens.
Speaking during a courtesy call by Regional Chief Imams at the Presidency on Thursday, President Mahama stressed the importance of religious tolerance in schools across the nation.
“Ghana is a nation of diverse religions, and one of the things our Constitution guarantees is the freedom of religion, freedom to worship and freedom to express one’s religious identity,” President Mahama stated. “It is all captured in the Constitution, and so there should be no grounds for religious discrimination either on the side of Christians or on the side of Muslims.”
The President highlighted practical challenges faced by students in communities where only mission schools are available, regardless of the students’ religious backgrounds.
“There are times where you find a secondary school which is a Muslim secondary school, Ahmadiyya, Ghana Muslim Mission, or some other mission in a community. And so if children want secondary education, or even basic education, that is the only school in their community. So they might be Christian, they might be Muslims,” he explained.
President Mahama emphasized that religious freedom must be protected in all educational settings. “It doesn’t help that if Christian children are in a Muslim school, they should be forced to adopt Islam the same way as if a Christian school is in a Muslim, dominantly Muslim community, it should not compel the students to not express their religion.”
The President revealed that his administration has been actively addressing these concerns through formal agreements. “We’ve been had those discussions. The Minister of Interior has led the process, and we’ve signed some MOUs on religious tolerance in especially mission schools.”
This initiative represents a significant step toward ensuring equal educational opportunities for all Ghanaian children, regardless of their religious affiliation, while maintaining the country’s tradition of religious harmony and mutual respect.
