Ghana Ministry of Education to amend law for faith-based GES Council seats

Ghana Education Service Council faith-based organisations Pre-Tertiary Education Act legislative amendment education policy

Ghana’s Ministry of Education has announced plans to amend the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1049) to restore representation for faith-based organisations on the Ghana Education Service (GES) Council.

The decision follows formal concerns raised by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference regarding its exclusion from the Council. Under the previous 1995 Act, three seats were reserved for faith-based groups, but the 2020 legislation reduced this to a single seat. The Ministry described this reduction as an “anomaly” identified during the 2025 constitution of the GES Council.

Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, argued that the exclusion weakens the Church’s ability to contribute to key policy discussions, particularly regarding student discipline and morality in schools. The Ministry has committed to a legislative process to ensure appropriate representation for all recognised religious organisations while supporting the government’s decentralisation policy in education.