The National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTA) has strongly condemned what it calls the rising incidents of religious discrimination in public secondary schools, warning that such practices violated the 1992 Constitution and infringed on the rights of students nationwide.

The council’s statement comes in the wake of recent controversies at Wesley Girls’ Senior High School, Tema SHS, and other institutions, where administrative directives were reported to have favoured a particular religious denomination to the detriment of students from minority faiths.

The NCPTA, in a statement on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, noted that these developments contradicted Articles 12, 17 and 21(1)(c) of the Constitution, which guaranteed equality before the law, protection from discrimination, and freedom of religion.

The council argued that because such institutions were funded by taxpayers and parents, they could not enforce faith-based rules that disadvantaged students who did not subscribe to their doctrine.

It stressed that exemptions under Article 14(1)(e) must be applied narrowly and always in the child’s genuine welfare, not to promote a particular denomination.

The NCPTA acknowledged the historic contributions of faith-based institutions to Ghana’s educational system but insisted that tradition must operate within constitutional boundaries.

As calls grow for fairness and inclusivity in public schools, the NCPTA urged school heads, administrators and stakeholders to respect the constitutional freedoms of all students and ensure an environment that protected diversity, equality and mutual respect.