Prime News Ghana

Public schools must separate church from state – Prof Azar wades in

By George Nyavor
File photo of Wesley Girls' students
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Outspoken legal practitioner, Prof Stephen Kwaku Asare, known popularly as Prof Kwaku Azar, has said the recent incidents in which school rules have clashed with religious rights highlight the need for public schools to separate religious doctrines from the Constitution.

“It is time for public schools to understand and apply the separation of church and state doctrine. It is time for the church, mosque, synagogue, shrine, temple, etc. to divorce themselves from the ownership, control, direction etc. of public schools,” the Accounting Professor stated on Facebook.

His comments follow disagreements between the Muslim community in Ghana and Christians following a controversial decision by Wesley Girls' Senior High School to prevent a Muslim student from observing the Ramadan fast.

While the Muslims community describes the decision by the all-girls school as discrimination, the Christian Council and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference say the centuries-old rule of the Methodist-founded school must be respected.

READ ALSO: Christian Council fights Chief Imam’s righthand man

It has also emerged that the school, for many years, has stopped Muslim students from observing their five daily prayers.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has asked Wesley Girls to allow the Muslim student to observe the fast but the school has refused to honour the directive.

On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, a respected Islamic Cleric and Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, revealed that the brouhaha stirred by Wesley Girl’s decision is being resolved behind closed doors.

Speaking on the matter that has remained topical since last week, Prof Azar cited the recent decision by yet another senior high school, Achimota Senior High School, to refuse admission for two Rastafarian students to make the point that it is has become imperative for the state to streamline what goes on in public schools.

“It is time for public schools to ensure that students do not feel singled out or excluded because they have different religious beliefs or even none. It is time for GES to protect the religious freedom of students in public schools. It is time for GES to ensure that our public schools do not favour (or disfavor) any religious beliefs,” he declared.

Read his full post below.

Motown does not allow Rastafarians to keep their dreads; GEHE does not allow Muslims to fast; etc.

When you complain they say rules are rules. But where are the rules when each school is free to decide the religious practices it will allow?

We can no longer allow each public school to decide the religious practices that it will tolerate.

We cannot settle these religious skirmishes behind the doors in an ad hoc fashion.

It is time for public schools to understand and apply the separation of church and state doctrine.

It is time for the church, mosque, synagogue, shrine, temple, etc. to divorce themselves from the ownership, control, direction etc. of public schools.

It is time for public schools to ensure that students do not feel singled out or excluded because they have different religious beliefs or even none.

It is time for GES to protect the religious freedom of students in public schools.

It is time for GES to ensure that our public schools do not favour (or disfavor) any religious beliefs.

Above all, it is time for GES to publish regulations and guidance that compel public schools to accommodate religious minorities.

For instance, it is widely known that Muslims fast at certain times of the year. The GES should publish guidance on what all schools must do to facilitate this, including ensuring they have meals at the time that they need them, being excluded from physical activities if they need it, etc.

The problem here is not that “rules are rules.” The problem here is that there are no rules at all and every headmaster feels empowered to decide what religious practices she’d tolerate in her school.

#SALL is the cardinal sin of the 8th Parliament. Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of SALL has no seat in Parliament.

Da Yie!