Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education, on Thursday said government would not interfere with the charging of school fees by the private sector.
However, it would continue to play its supervisory role in ensuring that the fees charged were in conformity with services provided.
"Government would not in any way stifle private sector initiatives but would continue to monitor, play its supervisory role and dialogue with the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) in the fixing of school fees," he said.
He said in trade every body would ensure that value for money is attained, he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Accra.
The Minister was responding to the call by the Foundation for Education Research and Development that government should allow the forces of demand and supply and the level of quality teaching to determine the fixing of school fees.
Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi said though the government does not interfere with the fixing of the fees, it has the duty of ensuring that the facilities in each school conformed to the fees charged.
Government, he said, would not look on unconcerned and allow private entrepreneurs make profit at the expense of parents adding that facilities, the environment and the level of the teachers all count in the determination of the charging of fees.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi said the Ghana Education Service (GES) would continue with its regulatory role in ensuring that all first cycle schools conformed to the agreed curriculum for schools.
On the issue of private schools enjoying equal access to the provision of textbooks, teaching aids as well as the GETFund, the Minister said government had no problems with such argument since parents of wards in private schools were also taxpayers.
"The problem is whilst government may provide these facilities to them at approved prices, some proprietors may over- charge the parents thus making undue profit at the expense of the government."
He, however, pledged to continue to dialogue with the GNAPS in finding an amicable solution to ensure that the taxpayers do not pay twice in the provision of facilities towards the education of their wards.
