Economist and Finance Professor at the University of Ghana, Godfred Bokpin, has expressed concern over the state’s reliance on legal measures to resolve the ongoing dispute involving Wesley Girls’ Senior High School(SHS), warning that such an approach risks undermining long-standing partnerships between the government and mission schools.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, November 2025, Prof. Bokpin said the current trajectory creates a dangerous impression that once mission schools accept state funding, they lose autonomy and ownership, a notion he strongly rejects.
According to him, the historical relationship between the state and private mission institutions is rooted in partnership, not confiscation. He argued that Ghana should be strengthening this collaborative model rather than adopting actions that weaken private stakeholders’ ability to enforce internal rules.
“We should be moving toward deeper partnerships where the state promotes national development while private entities retain the ability to pursue their mission and values,” he stated. “Ultimately, the state benefits when private institutions thrive.”
Prof. Bokpin traced the role of religious bodies in Ghana’s education system, noting that while some initially hesitated about formal education decades ago, others invested heavily in schools and hospitals as part of their faith-driven commitment to national development. These investments, he stressed, are protected and permitted under the constitution and should not be diminished by current debates.
He also commended Muslim communities in Ghana for their progressive stance on education, especially girls’ education, contrasting it with trends in other countries. This, he said, shows the positive impact of religious missions in the nation’s educational growth.
However, Prof. Bokpin warned that if the latest developments encourage religious bodies to reclaim full control or assert partial ownership of these institutions, the nation could face serious complications. Mission schools, he noted, were established for specific purposes, and the state partnered with them precisely because it could not shoulder the full burden of expanding educational access.
“The principle of partnership must be preserved,” he emphasised. “Weakening the strong to strengthen the weak will only create new problems.”
Prof. Bokpin urged all parties to prioritise dialogue, partnership, and respect for institutional identity, rather than resorting to legal battles that risk destabilising Ghana’s entire educational framework.
