Regulate religious practices in schools, public institutions – WACCE to GES

The West Africa Centre For Counter-Extremism (WACCE) has called on the Ghana Education Service “to make an official declaration regarding the place of religion in public and government-funded educational institutions in Ghana”.

A statement issued by the WACCE on 4 May 2021 indicated that per the provisions of Article 21 Clause (c) (1) of the 1992 Constitution, citizens are guaranteed individual rights to religious practice.

The statement, therefore, noted that there should be “a standardised regulation regarding religious practices including fasting, worship and dress code in secular schools, Christian and Muslim schools that are state-funded”.

The statement further said that "WACCE notes that the resort to episodic responses to the issues regarding religious practices in schools and public institutions is unrealistic and unsustainable and only compounds the problem over time. The current issue presents us with an opportunity to act appropriately to deepen pluralism, religious tolerance and national cohesion".

WACCE also urged members of the Muslim community to remain calm "whilst resorting to legitimate and peaceful means of addressing these issues".

WACCE, therefore, appealed to Parliament, the Director-General of GES, Ministers for Education and National Security, Civil Society Organisations and leadership of the religious community "to treat this issue as a matter of urgency to ensure it is addressed comprehensively and in time".

WACCE CALLS FOR STANDARDISED REGULATIONS REGARDING RELIGIOUS PRACTICES IN EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.

Accra, May 04, 2021 - The West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism (WACCE) is noting with serious concern the growing controversy over the permissibility of fasting at Wesley Girls Senior High School. Whilst efforts have been made by the Muslim Caucus in Parliament, Ghana Education Service and the government to ensure the said student is allowed to observe her fasting as obligated by her religion, it is important that government takes advantage of this incident to comprehensively address the place of religion and religious practices in all educational and public institutions.

1. WACCE notes that the resort to episodic responses to the issues regarding religious practices in schools and public institutions is unrealistic and unsustainable and only compounds the problem over time. The current issue presents us with an opportunity to act appropriately to pluralism, religious tolerance and national cohesion.

2. The 1992 Constitution of Ghana under Article 21 Clause (c) (1) guarantees individual rights to religious practice and to make manifest such. We, therefore, call on the Ghana Education Service and government to make an official declaration regarding the place of religion in public and government-funded educational institutions in Ghana in line with this constitutional provision. This should come with a standardised regulation regarding religious practices including fasting, worship and dress code in secular schools, Christian and Muslim-run schools that are State-funded.

3. We note the outpour of anger and frustrations among a significant number of the Muslim community, and urge all to remain calm whilst resorting to legitimate and peaceful means of addressing these issues. We are very conscious of the potential of such fissures to sashay into violent tendencies that can undermine peaceful coexistence.

4. We warn that any interim arrangements without comprehensively addressing the prolonged and unresolved challenge of religious practices in schools and public institutions has a proclivity to exacerbate the situation in the future. We emphasize this point bearing in mind the protracted issues of the ban on Hijab and Muslim religious practices in many schools and public institutions that have on many occasions eventuated in national hijab protests and social media condemnations.

5. We call on Parliament, the Director-General of GES, Ministers for Education and National Security, Civil Society Organisations and leadership of the religious community to treat this issue as a matter of urgency to ensure it is addressed comprehensively and in time.