Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has urged school authorities across the country to uphold the religious rights of students, ensuring they are free to practise their faith without restrictions.
He emphasised that every Ghanaian child is entitled to the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the constitution, including the right to religious expression.
Speaking during the 2025 Eid-ul-Fitr prayers with the Ambariyya Muslim sect in Tamale on Monday, March 31, the Minister reiterated the importance of respecting religious diversity within educational institutions.
He stressed that schools should not impose policies that hinder students from observing their faith.
His remarks follow concerns raised by the Ghana Muslim Students Association of Ghana on Saturday, March 29.
The association expressed disappointment over a decision by Saint Roses Senior High School in Akwatia, Eastern Region, to prevent Muslim students from going home to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, despite an official directive from the Ghana Education Service allowing them to do so.
In response to the controversy, Minister Iddrisu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to upholding students’ constitutional 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 practise their faith,” he declared.
He further called on all educational institutions to acknowledge and respect religious freedoms, ensuring that no student is subjected to discrimination based on their beliefs.
“All schools must recognise and respect the right of every Ghanaian child to profess and practise their religion,” he added.
