Arbitrary School Fees, Koforidua Parents to Demonstrate

Koforidua, July 30, GNA - A number of parents in the New Juaben Municipality have threatened to take to the streets, in protest against the arbitrary demand of fees by some school authorities. The demands comprised teacher's motivation fee, computer levies, bus fees, and building fund.

The concerned parents told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Koforidua that the demands were becoming unbearable. The group said failure to pay the fees sometimes led to the sacking of their children from school or preventing them from writing examinations. Mrs Theresa Afoakwa, spokesperson of the group, said some of the fees were collected under the pretext of supporting Parent Teacher Associations (PTA).

She appealed to the Ministry of Education to spell out the mandate of the PTAs.

Mrs Christiana Agyare Boateng, Municipal Director of Education, told the GNA that her outfit had not approved any fees to be charged by any public school and would, therefore, take action against any head teacher caught demanding arbitrary fees or charges. She said she had received anonymous letters and reports from the public about the practice, citing the Koforidua Presbyterian Junior High School as an example.

Mrs Boateng said she had held series of meetings with the Eastern Regional Directorate of the Presbyterian Schools and heads of basic public schools and cautioned them against the practice. She promised to take up the matter in order to facilitate the achievement of the free compulsory basic education programme.