Brilliant boy denied SHS education by mother and her ‘anti-school’ church

The future of a promising young student hangs in the balance due to his mother's religious belief that does not approve of formal education.

Evans, a top performer at his junior high school in Tema, a city in the Greater Accra region has gotten admission to attend the Presbyterian Boys Senior High School in Legon, Accra.

However, his mother has refused to allow him attend school due to her religious doctrine that abhors formal education.

Evans' mother, per the narration, recently joined the God's Kingdom at Last church, whose tenets oppose schooling.

According to Kofi Asare, Executive Director of education watchdog Africa Education Watch, Evans' teachers and school officials have attempted to persuade the mother but to no avail.

“Its been two weeks of persuasion. Let's hope it works," lamented Mr. Kofi Asare in a Facebook post.

Mr. Kofi Asare says he has been unable to contact the church leader directly to intercede on Evans' behalf, as calls and messages to the mother go unanswered or result in being blocked.

"Compulsion through the law courts should be the last option. It can take forever to litigate on matters like this, as we want the boy in school early January, yet have no idea where he is being kept," said Mr. Asare, indicating legal action may be necessary if other attempts at persuasion fail.

Ghana Education Service has been asked to hold Evans' placement at Presec Legon in the hopes he can still take up his spot next year.