Most Rev Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference is putting pressure on the government to conclude and sign the long-discussed agreement between the state and Churches on the management of mission schools.
The Bishops say the agreement is needed to clearly define responsibilities for admissions, governance, appointment of head teachers, religious and moral formation, discipline, buildings and accountability.
They also want the agreement to guarantee an appropriate role for founding Churches in protecting the distinct identity of their schools.
The call comes amid growing concerns over the Computerised School Selection and Placement System and the difficulties parents and students face during the placement process.
The Bishops said Catholic and other Christian schools were established by Churches long before the modern state assumed responsibility for universal education.
They stressed that while government has a legitimate duty to ensure fair access to education, founding Churches also have a legitimate interest in preserving the religious character, values, discipline and educational vision of their schools.
The Conference said it had already resolved at its 2025 National Catholic Education Forum in Koforidua that 20% of admissions to Catholic mission schools should be reserved annually for Catholic candidates.
“This is therefore not a fresh proposal but a call for the implementation of a decision already taken,” the Bishops said.
They explained that the arrangement would allow the Churches to maintain a sufficient number of students who can participate in the religious and moral formation central to the schools’ purpose.
The Bishops, however, stressed that the arrangement must not become a channel for corruption or favouritism.
They said it should be administered transparently through the proper Boards of Governors and diocesan education offices, subjected to annual audit, and strictly prohibit any exchange of money.
The Conference said it was particularly concerned by complaints surrounding this year’s placement exercise.
Of the 604,567 candidates who qualified for placement, 527,932 had been placed by the time the results were released.
The Bishops said complaints that some students had been placed in schools unsuited to their sex, disability, circumstances or location must be addressed.
They also raised concerns about allegations that parents are being asked to pay to secure school placements.
“If placement is meant to be free, no official, agent, or intermediary should request or accept payment for it,” they said, calling for such allegations to be investigated.
The Bishops also demanded clarity on so-called “protocol” admissions, saying the public deserves to know their legal basis, the number of places involved, the criteria applied and who is responsible.
They want the placement system independently reviewed by technical experts, with the main findings made public.
The Conference further called for a stronger appeals process and greater transparency so parents can understand how examination scores, programme choices, cut-offs, available spaces and other factors determine placement.
The Bishops said they would, for their part, implement without delay the decision already taken on Catholic admissions into their schools.
They urged government to “conclude the long-awaited Missions-State agreement, protect the identity of mission schools, ensure openness in admissions, end improper protocol arrangements, and strengthen the appeals process.”
“Ghana’s children deserve nothing less,” the Bishops said.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Source link
