The governing board of Wesley Girls’ High School, together with the Methodist Church Ghana, has pushed back against accusations that the school discriminates against students who are not of the Christian faith. The board maintains that such claims contradict the very principles on which the institution operates.
According to the school’s proprietors, Wesley Girls’ openly upholds its Methodist identity while functioning within the constitutional protections afforded mission schools. They explained that every student admitted is expected to respect long-standing traditions that promote a unified school culture built around discipline, academic focus, shared routines, and communal life.
The board noted that as enrolment rises and the student body becomes more diverse, it has become increasingly important to maintain a single, coherent system that allows all students to study, eat, worship, and participate in school activities in a structured and equitable manner. They emphasized that the school recognizes each student’s constitutional right to personal belief, but argued that running parallel religious systems within the school would fragment its cohesion and weaken its collective identity.
The statement also referenced a broader framework developed in April 2024 through consultations involving COMEU and facilitated by the National Peace Council. This agreement, signed by major Christian denominations as well as Islamic and other religious bodies, was intended to guide how mission schools accommodate students of varied faiths. Wesley Girls’ said it has remained aligned with this framework since its adoption.
The response comes as the school faces a lawsuit filed in December 2024 by lawyer Shafic Osman, who is invoking the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction. The suit challenges policies said to restrict Muslim students from wearing the hijab, observing fasting during Ramadan, and practicing other aspects of their faith. The plaintiffs argue that these restrictions breach constitutional protections governing freedom of religion.
