The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, has called for an immediate de-escalation of tensions surrounding the dispute between Wesley Girls’ High School and private legal practitioner, Shafic Kwabena Osman, urging national leaders—particularly the President—to step in and restore calm.
His appeal comes as public debate intensifies over allegations that the school compels all students to participate in Methodist religious rites while restricting Muslim practices, including the wearing of the hijab and fasting during Ramadan.
In a statement addressing the growing controversy, Kofi Asare expressed concern about the rapidly polarising discourse and cautioned that some institutional responses risk worsening the situation.
“I have seen a statement from the National Muslim Conference of Ghana, and it strikes me as overly harsh. CCHG, GCBC, Methodist and Anglican; four statements are enough. It’s time for dialogue. Some statements create more problems than solutions.”
Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare
Mr Asare stressed that despite the current tensions, there is no widespread conflict between missionary schools and Muslim students. “Over 99.9% of Christian schools already permit Muslim practice; there is no crisis,” he emphasized, suggesting that the Wesley Girls issue, while important, should not be misconstrued as a systemic national clash between religion and education.
He warned that continued public sparring could escalate unnecessary divisions and distort the longstanding cooperation between faith-based institutions and the state.
The Africa Education Watch leader urged President John Dramani Mahama to personally intervene, describing the moment as a critical test of leadership in safeguarding social cohesion.
He argued that the Presidency must take interest in the delayed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) mandated under the Pre-Tertiary Education Law, which is supposed to define the roles and boundaries of mission institutions in managing public schools.
“The President should intervene to calm tensions and take an interest in the MoU mandated by the Pre-Tertiary Education Law, supposed to set the framework for missions’ role in school management”.
Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare
Kofi Asare criticized the prolonged delay in finalizing this MoU—an instrument that should have been completed years ago. “We have spent five years implementing the Law without a finalized MoU. MoE and GES must expedite the process; missions must cooperate,” he urged.
He argued that the current conflict underscores the urgency of clarifying the authority, expectations, and limits of mission-school partnerships under Ghana’s education system.
In the interim, Mr Asare called for strict adherence to the existing Peace Council–COMEU Memorandum of Understanding on religious tolerance in schools. He noted that this framework, which outlines how institutions should manage issues of religious diversity, must guide national conduct until the Pre-Tertiary MoU is complete.
“The Peace Council-COMEU MoU on ‘religious tolerance’ must be upheld by all,” he insisted. He also challenged the National Peace Council to take a more proactive role: “The Peace Council must demonstrate ownership of that MoU it facilitated, and not leave it to GES alone.”
The Eduwatch Boss further advised that government’s chief legal officer and the education sector leadership must present a unified public stance. “It is also important for the Attorney General and the Minister for Education to reconcile their public positions on the issue and related matters,” he said.
The comment follows recent divergence between the Attorney General’s defence of Wesley Girls’ Methodist-based practices and the broader expectations of religious neutrality in public schools.
In a lighter, yet pointed tone, Kofi Asare publicly cautioned two influential commentators. “Mussa Dankwah and Richard Kwadwo Nyarko, you are banned from any further commentary on this matter,” he declared, suggesting that heightened commentary from certain quarters may be inflaming public sentiment rather than aiding resolution.
His call for peace comes against the backdrop of a Supreme Court case filed by Shafic Kwabena Osman, who argues that Wesley Girls’ policies violate constitutional protections on religious freedom, equality before the law, and the prohibition of religious imposition within state institutions.
Osman’s suit highlights what he describes as discriminatory practices that prevent Muslim students from observing their faith, in contrast to activities aligned with the school’s Methodist heritage.
The Attorney General, however, maintains that the school is entitled to preserve its founding doctrines, arguing that its mission-based identity need not be discarded simply because it operates within the public education system.
The Supreme Court has directed Wesley Girls’ High School, the Ghana Education Service, and the Attorney General to file formal responses to the suit. In a significant development, Democracy Hub has been granted amicus curiae status, enabling the civil society group to support the Court’s deliberations with expert submissions.
As tensions rise, Kofi Asare’s voice adds a measured reminder that Ghana’s long-standing tradition of religious coexistence remains intact and must be protected. His final message was unequivocal: “Let there be peace on the land.”
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