Decision not to send my son to PRESEC Legon was due to lack of finances, not newfound faith - Mother clarifies

The mother, who reportedly denied her son admission to Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC) Legon, has reacted to the viral reports.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, the woman rejected the assertion by Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, that she did not take her child to school because of church beliefs.

“It is not the faith of my worship that told me not to send my child to school; there are students from all levels of education there. Rather, it was my decision not to send him to school because I wasn't having the financial capacity to take him to school last year,” she said.

She added that she won’t be the barrier to her son’s education because she knows it’s importance.

“I am a single mother, and I have been taking care of him since he was a child. So, this is not the time I will stand in his path to education. I know the importance of education very well but I wasn't in the right capacity to take care of the financial obligations that came along with his education.

“When his results were released last year, some of the teachers from his junior high school called me to come to the school to have a discussion about the way forward. I told them that it was my wish that he continues but I didn't have money then, so I would have taken him to school this year, 2024,” she said.

She added, "however, the headmistress of the school disagreed and insisted that I take him to school the same year he completed. So, I began preparation to take him to school just as the headmistress advised.”

The mother noted that she had to seek permission from the leaders of her faith, who must give their blessing before she can send her son to school.

She added that the problem started when a member of the think tank took her phone and confronted the leader of her faith, accusing him of being responsible for her son's absence from school.

“I called one of the leaders in the church and told him about the decision I have taken about my son and his education. I explained to him that I didn't go through the process to first ask for permission because everything came impromptu. He told me that I could take my son to school but he would be marked absent as far as the faith was concerned.

“As I tried to engage the leaders of the kingdom on phone about getting their blessings for my son to go to school, one of the teachers took the phone and asked the person I was speaking with where they were when my son had passed but was not going to school. I wasn't pleased with the teacher’s action because it appeared as an attack on my faith and kingdom. I wouldn't have been bothered if the teachers were dealing with just me but to go ahead and attack the kingdom as well was not the best,” she added.

She said that she was still determined to send her son to school this year, and that she hoped that he would get another chance to enrol at PRESEC Legon.

Background

The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, raised concerns about a promising student named Evans who secured admission to PRESEC, Legon but is being denied education by his mother due to her newfound faith.

He explained that efforts by JHS teachers to persuade Evans' mother to enroll him have been unsuccessful.

According to him, social welfare in Tema is reportedly aware and engaged in the situation.

Kofi Asare disclosed his attempts to establish contact with the church leader of "God’s Kingdom at Last," the religious group the mother is associated with, proved futile.

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