All Schools Must Recognise and Respect Students' Religious Rights - Haruna Iddrisu

Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana - Ghana's Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has urged schools to respect students' religious freedoms, after a controversy erupted over a school's decision to deny Muslim students permission to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr.

Speaking during the 2025 Eid ul-Fitr prayers in Tamale, where he joined worshippers from the Ambariyya Muslim sect, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu underscored the constitutional guarantee of every Ghanaian child's right to freedom of worship.

“Every Ghanaian child is entitled to the full benefit of the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the constitution, so is the child and school.”

“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 practice their faith.

“All schools must recognise and respect the right of every Ghanaian child to profess and practice their religion,'' he added.

His comments come after the Ghana Muslim Students Association expressed disappointment over Saint Roses Senior High School's decision to deny Muslim students the opportunity to observe the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday.

The Minister's call for religious tolerance and respect for students' rights has sparked a national conversation about the importance of inclusivity and diversity in Ghana's education system.

Source: Lead News Online