The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has joined the ongoing Supreme Court case involving Shafic Osman and Wesley Girls Senior High School, underscoring the growing national importance of the dispute over religious practices in mission schools.
The conference is participating in the case as an interested party through an amicus curiae brief aimed at assisting the court in addressing key constitutional and legal issues.
An affidavit supporting the brief was sworn by Joseph Kwaku Afrifah-Agyekum, Episcopal Bishop responsible for education in the Catholic Church in Ghana. He said he had the mandate of the National Catholic Secretariat to represent the Church on education matters.
He explained that the Church’s position was based on personal knowledge and consultations with legal counsel, and that the submission was made in good faith to support the court’s deliberations.
The Church’s intervention reflects its long-standing role in Ghana’s education sector, where mission schools continue to play a key role. It argued that the outcome of the case could have far-reaching implications for the governance of such institutions and their ability to maintain their religious identity within the public system.
A key document cited is the Memorandum of Understanding on Religious Tolerance in Schools, adopted on April 15, 2024, by government-assisted and private mission schools, which seeks to balance religious diversity with institutional values.
The case, involving the Board of Governors of Wesley Girls, the Ghana Education Service and the Attorney-General’s Department, has drawn public attention.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is expected to set an important precedent.
BY GORDON WELLU
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