Wesley Girls’ Old Girls Reject Claims of Religious Discrimination

The Wesley Girls’ High School Old Girls’ Association (OGA) has dismissed recent allegations of religious discrimination at Wesley Girls’ High School, Cape Coast, insisting the school has always embraced students from diverse religious backgrounds within its long-standing Methodist tradition.

The Association made its position known in a statement issued in Accra, following renewed public debate over claims that the school’s rules and guidelines undermine the rights of students of certain faiths.

According to the OGA, Wesley Girls’ High School has, throughout its history, admitted and nurtured students from various Christian denominations as well as other faiths, all of whom have performed well under what it described as a “well-structured environment deeply rooted in Methodist values.”
It therefore rejected what it called any attempt “to portray the School as intolerant or discriminatory.”

The Old Girls emphasised that the school stands in loco parentis to its students and has a responsibility to enforce standard guidelines that uphold discipline, safety, and health in line with the 2024 Memorandum of Understanding guiding faith-based schools.
“These guidelines, which align with the letter and spirit of the 2024 MOU, apply without discrimination to all students,” the statement said, noting that not every individual preference can be accommodated if it risks altering the school’s curriculum, schedule, or supervision systems.

The OGA further stressed that because Wesley Girls’ is home to students of multiple faiths, any exemption granted to one group must be extended to all others, which it argued would be neither practical nor sustainable.
“It is neither practical nor sustainable to expect individualised religious accommodations that could eventually compromise the School’s order, safety, and long-standing traditions,” it added.

The statement highlighted the long relationship between the Methodist Church Ghana and the State, saying this partnership attests to the school’s reputation for discipline, academic excellence, and strong moral grounding.

While reiterating respect for constitutional religious freedoms, the OGA noted that such freedoms must be exercised with an appreciation for the clearly defined ethos of a faith-based, government-assisted institution.
“This freedom is symbiotic with the reciprocal appreciation of institutional guidelines,” the Association stated.

Positioning itself as a key stakeholder representing generations of alumnae and current parents, the OGA declared full support for the Methodist Church Ghana, which founded the school more than a century ago, and endorsed the stance of the Headmistress and School Board.

“The OGA stands firmly with the Headmistress, the School Board, and the Methodist Church Ghana in safeguarding the cherished values and standards that have shaped generations of godly, confident, capable, and principled women,” the Old Girls said.

They urged the public to approach the matter with restraint, respect, and a focus on students’ welfare.

Wesley Girls’ High School, the Association concluded, “remains a home for all students who choose to be part of its community,” and the Old Girls’ Association will continue to work to preserve the school’s legacy of excellence.

 

 

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