The Anglican Church of Ghana has declared firm support for the stance taken by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Christian Council of Ghana on the ongoing Wesley Girls’ High School hijab controversy.
The Church insists that mission schools have the constitutional right to uphold their religious identity and enforce internal regulations, including dress codes.
This was in a statement signed by the Metropolitan Archbishop and Primate of the Church, Most Rev. Dr Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
The Church affirmed that religious bodies that established mission schools retained the authority to determine standards consistent with their spiritual and moral foundations.
The statement argued that compelling such institutions to alter long-standing rules on uniforms and religious practices would undermine constitutionally protected freedoms.
It cited Articles 21(1)(c) and 43 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which guarantee freedom of religion, association and the rights of educational institutions to uphold their founding principles.
The dispute over the use of hijabs at Wesley Girls’ High School resurfaced after parents of some Muslim students petitioned the school’s leadership and the Ministry of Education seeking permission for their wards to wear the Islamic scarf as part of the school uniform.
The matter has since sparked nationwide debate on religious accommodation, minority rights, and the autonomy of faith-based academic institutions.
The Anglican Church stressed that promoting religious tolerance and mutual respect should not translate into eroding the identity and governing structures of mission schools.
The statement cautioned stakeholders to approach the matter soberly to prevent polarization and preserve Ghana’s long-standing religious harmony.
It described mission schools as establishments created by churches to transmit specific values and not merely public entities detached from their founding philosophies.
Forcing them to dilute their character, it warned, would contradict the rule of law and infringe upon constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
The Church expressed confidence that ongoing public deliberations and potential legal processes would safeguard the rights of both religious institutions and students across the country.
The Anglican Church has urged legal practitioners, government agencies and community leaders to safeguard constitutional order and avoid actions that may inflame religious tensions.
