"Consult Parents before levying children"-Ofosu-Ampofo

Koforidua, Aug 4, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Eastern Regional Minister, on Wednesday appealed to public schools that want to levy their school children to ensure that all parents had been consulted.

This, he said, would prevent the situation where only a few and affluent parents were allowed to take the decision on behalf of the majority poor.

The Regional Minister, who was addressing a graduation ceremony of a public school, RIIS Presbyterian Model School in Koforidua, said public schools because of government interventions were not allowed to levy.

He said if it became necessary for any public school to levy, it must seek the approval of the municipal or district assembly or education directorate when all parents concern had agreed.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said it was the state's responsibility to ensure that public schools had all facilities and logistics for teaching and learning hence the capitation grant, free exercise books and other interventions.

He urged all public schools to abide by the directive and regulation governing the charging and levying of schoolchildren.

The regional minister said he was impressed with the performance of the RIIS Model School and called for a model school by all the educational units in the region to raise the standards of public schools in the area.

Mr Robert Ntow, the Headmaster of the school, pleaded with Mr Ofosu-Ampofo to allow them to levy the children to improve facilities in the school.

He said the school was the first public school in the region to move away from the shift system and had scored 100 percent passes since 2005 in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to become one of the best performing schools in the country.

Mr Ntow said despite those achievements anytime they levied the children there was fierce resistance from the public, including parents, and they were therefore summoned to either the education office or the municipal assembly.