The Conference of Directors of Private Pre-Tertiary Schools has raised concerns about certain provisions of the Education Act 2008, Act 778 which limits the powers of private school proprietors in determining the appropriate fees for their schools.
The Conference considers these provisions unfair and inconsistent with the constitution.
This was contained in a congratulatory message to the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum on his appointment.
The release, signed by its President, Philip Boateng Mensah catalogued a number of issues they would like government to take a second look at.
The Conference of Directors of Private Pre-Tertiary Schools- Ghana, said in its statement as it considers the provisions in the Education Act 2008 Act 778 that enjoins proprietors of private educational institutions to seek the consent of the Minister of Education before changing or raising the level of fees as unfair and inconsistent with the spirit and letter of Article 25 (2) of the1992 Constitution.
The conference notes that in a free competitive economy where prices of goods and services are dictated by prevailing market situations, it finds it incomprehensible for the Education Act 2008 to throw private proprietors in the education sector into an era of controlled economy.
The group therefore calls on the new Minister of Education to initiate steps to review the Act.
The conference also called for the establishment of a council to regulate the affairs of Private Pre-Tertiary Schools. It said it is aware the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service have been dealing with an Association that has Council for Private Schools as part of its name.
It said their name is misleading and creates an impression that Private Pre-Tertiary Schools have an established council or a regulatory body but that is not the case, aside from the National Schools Inspectorate Authority, which is an agency of the Ministry of Education.
Another issue on the heart of the conference is the allocation of 30 percent placement of Grade A schools to public schools before the remaining 70 percent are allocated to all basic schools in Ghana after BECE.
This provision it says is unconstitutional, with an inbuilt attempt to create educational apartheid in Ghana’s educational system.
The policy in the view of the group discriminates against Ghanaian children in Private Schools.
It appeals to the Minister to initiate steps to make the Schools where candidates sat the BECE signature and stamp mandatory to validate the school placement/enrolment form. As the situation stands now, the schools or the clergy’s signature validates the school placement/enrolment form.
However, where the candidate has not settled their outstanding bills but can easily have a Clergy to endorse the form, it creates a leeway for that candidate to leave the school while owing fees.
The Conference of Directors of Private Pre-Tertiary Schools welcomes Dr. Adutwum to be at the helm of the Education Ministry and believes he will not waver in his passion to transform Ghana’s Education sector into an enviable position to match others globally.
