Education Minister calls for students’ religious rights

In a move aimed at safeguarding the religious rights of students, the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu has called on school authorities across Ghana to ensure that students can practice their faith freely without interference.

His comments come after the Ghana Muslim Students Association (GMSA) raised concerns about a recent incident at Saint Roses Senior High School in Akwatia, Eastern Region, where Muslim students were reportedly denied permission to go home to observe Eid-ul-Fitr.

The GMSA expressed deep dissatisfaction with the actions of the school, claiming that despite a circular from the Ghana Education Service (GES) permitting students to observe the religious holiday, their request was turned down.

This situation sparked a debate over the extent to which religious freedoms are respected within the educational system in Ghana.

In response to the incident, the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu emphasized that all Ghanaian children are entitled to the full spectrum of rights guaranteed under the country’s constitution.

He stressed that these rights include the freedom to practice one’s religion without hindrance.

Speaking at the 2025 Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in Tamale on March 31, Iddrisu declared, “Every Ghanaian child is entitled to the full benefit of the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the constitution, so is the child and school.”

Haruna Iddrisu further clarified the government’s stance on this matter, insisting that no school, regardless of its location or administration, has the authority to deny students their religious rights.

“I want to announce as Ghana’s Minister of Education that every child and every Ghanaian is entitled to the full benefit of all the rights enshrined in the 1992 Constitution and therefore no school has the right to deny any Ghanaian child the right to practice their faith,” Iddrisu stated emphatically.

His remarks underline a broader commitment to upholding the religious freedoms of all students, regardless of their faith, in line with the principles enshrined in the Constitution of Ghana.