The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt Rev. Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, has urged Ghanaians to safeguard the long-standing harmony in mission schools by upholding mutual respect between religious groups and the proprietors of such institutions.
He stressed that while it was important to respect the rights of persons of different faiths, those who accepted education in mission schools must also respect the rights and identities of the schools’ owners.
“People of other faiths who entered mission schools have respected the fact that these schools were built to uphold certain values. The attempts by a few people to ruffle the waters could threaten national cohesion if not handled carefully.
“It is important that we respect the rights of persons of other religions. But it is also important for persons of other religions who accept education in mission schools to respect the rights of the owners of the mission schools,” Rt Rev. Opare Kwakye said at the 87th Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC) in Accra last Saturday.
The moderator’s comment comes in the wake of recent controversy over accepting divergent religious practices on the premises of local educational institutions, particularly at the second cycle level, with an escalated version currently in court.
Ablakwa’s thoughts
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, however, made a strong case for preserving religious tolerance in schools, describing the country’s secondary school system as a crucible for nation-building.
He said generations of Ghanaians had learnt to coexist peacefully because secondary schools exposed students to different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs.
“Our secondary school architecture has been the most potent antidote to discrimination and prejudice. It is in secondary schools that we learn that no one from another part of Ghana is a threat, and that diversity enriches us,” he said.
Back to School- Compu Ghana
The minister, a past student of PRESEC, questioned why the country, globally celebrated for religious tolerance, was suddenly grappling with new tensions.
He drew on lessons from the National Chief Imam’s historic presence in churches and his own experience hosting the Chief Imam in his home to illustrate the country’s unique interfaith harmony.
He urged that the country’s focus should not be on strict doctrines or outward expressions of religiosity, but on the common humanity and love for one another.
Mr Ablakwa said the more significant national concern should be about the values the country’s education system was producing.
He asked: “Why is our educational system producing graduates who create thousands of ghost names to steal from the state? Why are we producing graduates who destroy our environment and harm public health just for greed?”
The minister emphasised the need for an educational philosophy that built ethical leadership, critical thinking, accountability and discipline.
This year’s celebration, held on the theme: “Celebrating our heritage: Shaping future leaders through discipline and academic excellence”, brought together past students from several year groups, parents, government officials and clergy of the Presbyterian Church.
Recognition was given to 47 former students who scored straight 8As in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa presented each of the 47 high achievers with brand-new laptops to support their tertiary education and future academic journeys.
In addition, several students who excelled in various subjects, disciplines and sports received awards for their exceptional performances over the academic year.
The Headmaster of the school, David Odjidja, highlighted the school’s impressive academic outcomes.
He revealed that out of the 2024 WASSCE cohort, 47 students scored 8As, 106 had 7As, 117 obtained 6As, 270 students recorded aggregate 6, and almost 800 candidates achieved single-digit aggregates.
He further mentioned that the school’s performance in the core subjects remained exceptionally strong.
Out of 1,933 candidates, 1,686, representing 87.2 per cent, scored A1–B3 in Social Studies, 1,685 obtained A1–B3 in English Language, 1,548, representing 80.1 per cent, recorded A1–B3 in Core Mathematics, and 1,632, representing 84.5 per cent, achieved A1–B3 in Integrated Science.
Challenges
Despite all the achievements, the headmaster outlined significant challenges confronting the school, driven largely by rising enrolment and the continuing double-track system.
He said the school faced major deficits in classroom furniture, dormitory beds, library seating, dining hall furniture and general assembly space.
He disclosed that although the school had six science laboratory spaces, three of them provided by the church and the other three by the government, none of them had been equipped, and, therefore, remained locked.
To support the government’s plan to transition all double-track schools to single-track by the 2027/2028 academic year, Mr Odjidja said the school urgently required a 48-unit classroom block with furniture, 6,000-capacity dormitory blocks, 15 additional science laboratories and six computer laboratories.
He appealed to the government, old students, the church and other stakeholders to assist in helping the school transition as soon as possible.
