The Chairman of the National Peace Council, Most Rev. Emmanuel Fianu, has urged the government to return the management of mission schools to the religious bodies that established them.
According to him, granting missions greater authority over their institutions would help preserve the values, ethics, and educational philosophies upon which these schools were originally founded.
In an interview, Most Rev. Fianu emphasized that critical decisions—such as the appointment of teachers and heads of schools—should be made by the missions rather than being determined solely through political or bureaucratic processes under the Ghana Education Service (GES).
“Allowing the missions to manage their schools will be a major advantage,” he stated.
“The owners of the schools must play a greater role in what happens in their institutions. When a faith-based school has a particular ethos or approach to character formation, it is vital for the mission to be involved in selecting who teaches or works there. People who do not share those values may struggle to collaborate effectively.”
He explained that mission schools were historically managed entirely by religious organisations, with the government supporting them through funding and infrastructure. What began as a partnership, however, has gradually become what he described as a “total takeover,” with GES now making all management decisions.
Most Rev. Fianu expressed concern that missions have lost significant influence in the running of their own schools.
“Teacher and headship appointments are now made solely by the Ghana Education Service without any consultation with the school owners,” he said.
“What was intended to be a partnership has, over the years, shifted to full control by the Education Service. The educational units of faith-based organisations, which once played essential roles, have now become powerless.”
While acknowledging that staff salaries are now borne by the government, he argued that the shift in control has negatively affected the quality of education in mission schools.
“It has affected educational standards more than it has affected evangelization,” he noted.
“The quality of education is heavily influenced by the founding ethos of the faith-based organisation. That ethos shapes students, and when the mission has little influence, the overall quality is compromised.”
Most Rev. Fianu believes that restoring management authority to missions would significantly strengthen both the academic performance and moral formation for which mission schools are renowned.
Source: theghanareport
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