Mission Schools: Excellence, Faith, and Boundaries of Worship

The debate over faith-based Christian schools in Ghana and the demands for accommodating other religions can only be resolved if the government returns mission schools to their original owners and withdraws public funding. These schools were built and run by churches long before independence, guided by faith and a clear mission, to shape disciplined and morally upright youth. Expecting them to compromise their principles for human rights arguments ignores the very foundation of their success.

Freedom of worship is fundamental, but it is not absolute. Christians cannot walk into a mosque and pray in their own way, and Muslims cannot enter a church and impose theirs. Likewise, students in faith-based schools must respect the institution’s religious framework. This does not mean denying Muslim students their faith; they can practice privately or during designated times without disrupting the school’s ethos.

What would it be like if Muslims in Christian-based schools started demanding that these schools cook meals for them to eat at dawn for fasting? Because it's their religious obligation to fast even when they are in school? The cooks have a regular time they cook each meal for the students, and it will be nearly impossible to do this for the Muslim students in schools that are Islamic schools. While it may be the religious right for these Muslim students, it may affect the structure of cooking in the school and put an extra burden on these cooks who already work a lot but earn little.

These schools are highly sought after because of their excellent academic performance. Discipline, morality, and faith-driven guidance are what make them shine. No parent willingly sends a child to a failing school, and we should not risk undermining these institutions with debates that offer nothing but disruption.

Parents who choose private schools accept that higher fees reflect quality. Similarly, parents whose children attend mission schools must accept that upholding faith-based values and discipline is what preserves their exceptional standards. If you want your child to benefit from top-tier education, respect the principles that make these schools exceptional—don’t demand that they compromise for external pressures.

This debate should not be framed as a clash between Muslims and Christians. Doing so risks politicising education and influencing political ambitions. Already, we have seen instances in some elections, though not pervasive, where religion subtly affected voting trends. For example, the current Minister of Education, a Muslim, has argued that certain Christian faith-based practices in schools may be unlawful. Such positions could create an impression that, if he or other political figures were elected president, laws might be shaped to favour students of a particular faith.

The solution is clear: the government should return mission schools—whether Islamic or Christian—to their original owners to run according to their faith-driven policies. Once that happens, students who enrol will understand and respect the guiding principles of the institution, preventing religious debates from undermining the quality of education.

By protecting the integrity of mission schools, we preserve academic excellence, moral discipline, and faith-guided development for generations. Respecting institutional faith frameworks is not exclusion—it is what allows these schools to continue producing leaders, professionals, and citizens Ghana can be proud of.