By: Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTA) says Ghana’s schools cannot be expected to carry the full responsibility for educating, disciplining and shaping the character of children without stronger support from parents, traditional authorities, religious leaders and communities.
The Council says the increasing challenges confronting children and schools require a collective national response, with parents playing a more active role in school development, student welfare, discipline, accountability and educational improvement.
The position was contained in an emergency press conference following an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting of the NCPTA, where the Council addressed concerns over parental participation, discipline and character formation, the credibility of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results and examination processes, and curriculum development.
The NCPTA said teachers are already carrying multiple responsibilities in the school environment and cannot reasonably be expected to function at the same time as classroom instructors, counsellors, social workers, security officers, parents and moral guardians for hundreds of children.
It argued that the solution is not to weaken teachers but to strengthen the community around the child.
According to the Council, parents, chiefs, queen mothers, religious leaders and communities must become active partners in helping schools address indiscipline and promote positive character formation.
The NCPTA said concerns such as bullying, cyberbullying, drug abuse, examination malpractice, gangsterism, assaults on teachers and students, inappropriate use of technology and sexual misconduct require interventions that extend beyond the classroom.
It is therefore proposing a deliberate return of traditional and religious leaders to the national conversation on school discipline and character development.
The Council has called on the National House of Chiefs, Queen Mothers, Christian Council of Ghana, Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Muslim leadership, together with the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES), to participate in developing a National Charter on School Discipline and Character Formation.
The proposed charter, it said, should establish practical approaches to character education, student discipline, parental involvement and restorative practices.
It should also address drug abuse prevention, cyber safety and responsible technology use, while promoting respect for teachers and fellow students, conflict resolution, patriotism and civic responsibility.
The NCPTA said GES cannot parent every child, teachers cannot carry the entire burden of discipline, and traditional and religious leaders cannot effectively contribute to character formation if their roles are reduced to ceremonial appearances.
It added that parents also cannot effectively support schools when they are excluded from meaningful participation.
Parents must be partners, not spectators
The Council said its demand for a stronger parental role is supported by Ghana’s constitutional and legal framework.
It cited Articles 25 and 38 of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantee educational opportunities and place responsibilities on the State to provide educational facilities.
The NCPTA also referred to Article 28, which recognises the natural rights and responsibilities of parents in the care and upbringing of their children.
It further cited Articles 21 and 37 on freedom of association, arguing that parents have a legitimate basis to organise and participate collectively in matters affecting their children.
The Council also referred to the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1049), which it said recognises the PTA voice within the education oversight structure alongside traditional authorities, religious bodies, teachers, School Management Committees and private schools.
It said the roles should be complementary: government regulates, schools administer, teachers teach, parents participate and communities support.
The NCPTA stressed that parents must not be treated as spectators in the education of their own children.
Dispute over PTA guidelines
The Council welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s directive restoring fully functional PTAs in all pre-tertiary schools, subsequently communicated by the GES in July 2025.
However, the NCPTA said the GES guidelines published on September 29, 2025, to regulate the activities of PTAs and parent associations were issued without what it described as adequate prior consultation with NCPTA and other parent representatives.
The Council said it considered the approach inconsistent with the spirit of partnership that should exist between education authorities and parents.
The matter subsequently went before the High Court, General Jurisdiction, in Accra.
The NCPTA said in Suit No. GJ/1054/2026, the Court on July 21, 2026, granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the GES from implementing its PTA guidelines in relation to places where NCPTA associations operate and from preventing NCPTA branches from operating.
The Council stressed that the injunction is interlocutory and remains pending the final determination of the substantive case.
It therefore called on all parties to respect the court order and allow the legal process to proceed.
The NCPTA said, however, that beyond the court case lies a broader national question about the place parents should occupy in the education and development of their children.
Parents also have duties
The Council is also urging parents to accept their own responsibilities rather than viewing PTA restoration as an opportunity to interfere irresponsibly in school administration.
It said parental participation should be seen as a call to service and constructive partnership.
Parents, according to the NCPTA, must attend school meetings, support teachers, monitor their children’s conduct, supervise their use of technology, discourage examination malpractice and participate constructively in school activities.
The Council also expressed appreciation for teachers and acknowledged the difficult circumstances under which many of them work.
It said it would not support attacks, insults, intimidation or violence against teachers, stressing that educators deserve support from parents, school authorities and government.
The NCPTA called for effective counselling systems, appropriate disciplinary structures, professional support and meaningful parental cooperation, describing a respected teacher as an asset to the nation.
Concerns over examinations
On the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the NCPTA said it respects the Council’s mandate to protect the integrity of Ghana’s examination system.
It nevertheless expects transparency, procedural fairness and effective communication in the conduct and administration of examinations.
The Council said the interests of candidates and the examination system must be protected while preserving WAEC’s credibility.
It stressed that its concerns extend beyond PTA administration, BECE grades or the involvement of traditional and religious leaders in school discipline.
The broader issue, it said, is how Ghana can rebuild a strong partnership between parents, schools, communities and the State in the best interest of the Ghanaian child.
The NCPTA is therefore calling on parents and guardians, school proprietors and heads, teachers, existing PTAs, traditional authorities, religious bodies, educational organisations and the wider education community to support efforts to strengthen parental participation.
The Council said it remains committed to constructive engagement with government, GES, schools and other relevant education institutions.
It maintains that the responsibility for developing responsible, disciplined and educated children must be shared, because schools cannot carry the burden of child development alone.
