Presby Church Lauds Government Over Move To Hand Over Mission Schools

The District Minister of Peyer Memorial Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana , Bantama, Rev. Stephen Osei Sarpong has lauded the government’s move to hand over mission schools in the country to its original owners.

According to Rev. Stephen Osei Sarpong Presbyterian of Ghana is ready take over their faith based institutions adding that the move by government would help restore discipline to the schools stressing that the purpose for setting them up was to train students to become both educationally and morally strong.

Rev. Osei Sarpong stated this during the church's 60th Anniversary thanks giving service on Sunday, November 19, 2017.

He said the status quo marginalizes the missionary in educational decision-making in the institutions.

President Akufo-Addo has promised a historic handing over of mission schools across the country to its original administrators, the churches.

Speaking at the graduation of Trinity College in Accra Saturday, Nana Akufo Addo, expressed the hope that a hand-over will help arrest declining moral standards in schools.

"The tradition of discipline, hard work, and integrity that characterize the churches...are needed in our country," he said.

The promise is part of the government's 2016 manifesto pledge. The President did not indicate a timeline for the handing-over but said his government was "keen".

The government's withdrawal of management of mission schools is expected to delight traditional churches like Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican and Catholic churches.

As part of its missionary objectives during the colonial era, churches established many of Ghana's senior secondary schools, several of which are now branded elite schools.

But a 1984 take-over of their schools, placed its administration and management under government control.

Ghana has 872 second cycle schools of which 66% are government controlled. Churches would control a huge majority of the 575 schools now under the state's management.

“We are happy and excited, the Ghana Education Service has not respected the partnership between the two bodies over the years, the service tried to push us the rightful owners of the school away. In terms of managing the schools”, he said

Rev. Osei Sarpong indicated that the idea behind building mission schools was not for only intellectual ability but for the moral and spiritual building of students

“We are of the opinion that the issue of the need for the existence of the denominational schools is not a question of favour being sought but rather a matter of right being claimed. We insist that parents should be offered the opportunity to choose, among several options, the type of education they want for their children’’, Rev. Osei Sarpong noted.

“It is for this reason that we find it difficult to accept the practice of sidelining our Unit school system in matters of educational policy. We emphasise that this policy cannot be in the interest of the citizens, the taxpayers, as it deprives them of their choice in such a vital area of life’’, he observed.