Government to maintain the ceiling on PTA dues-Minister

Aburi, Jan. 26, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo the Eastern Regional Minister, has supported the idea of maintaining a ceiling on the Parent-Teacher Association's (PTA) dues in Senior High Schools(SHS)to help protect the interest of poor parents .

While commending the efforts and contributions of PTA's in various schools, especially the Aburi Girls Presbyterian SHS where he inaugurated a 3-unit classroom block and a sachet water plant funded by the PTA of the school, he stressed government's resolve to maintain the ceiling on PTA dues to protect the poor.

The Regional Minister indicated that government was the major stakeholder in education and was interested in every Ghanaian getting a better education; therefore it would not allow the PTA to charge fees without a ceiling to the detriment of the poor.

However, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said, government would allow parents who could afford to fund projects in schools out of their own free will to help provide better facilities and conditions for learning. The 3-unit classroom block meant for science classes and the sachet water plant with the capacity of producing 40 bags a day were entirely funded by the PTA at a cost of GHc50,000 and GHc56,000 cedis respectively. The Headmistress of the School, Mrs Sylvia Asempa, earlier on called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to remove the ceiling on PTA dues to allow parents of schools who had the means to help develop the national asset without any hindrance.

She mentioned the provision of bio-gas toilet, 16 KVA generators that ensures that the school never go dark, a fully manned clinic, a walled concreted pavement and water reservoirs which the PTA had funded for the school.

These facilities, she pointed out, "have in no doubt improved conditions in the school that students no longer go to Tettey Quarshie hospital for medical care and no more jump over serpents in their day-to-day trekking on the campus, and this has significantly raised academic performance".

She disclosed that out of 7,000 candidates who applied to the school for admission this academic year, only 500 students were admitted, adding that the school was among the best five SHS in the country. Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso of the Legon Centre for International Affairs and a parent of the school, said research in education had shown that less than 10 per cent of budget estimates goes into education development. He therefore argued that for the improved conditions to be provided to facilitate academic work, parents must be given the free hand without a ceiling to contribute and undertake projects that would cushion students to come out as better scholars.

The PTA Chairman, Professor Lewis Enu-Kwesi, thanked the parents for the understanding and sacrifices towards the improvement of facilities in the school. He said it was a worldwide accepted phenomenon that stakeholders in education should partner with the State and contribute towards the welfare and wellbeing of their wards in school.