Govt asked to stop extortion by school authorities

Kumasi, Nov 23, GNA – The Member of Parliament (MP) for Oforikrom, Madam Elizabeth Agyemang, has asked the Government to act boldly to stop the extortion of parents by school authorities in the country.

He alleged that parents of first year students of some Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the country were asked to buy bags of cement, paint and wheel barrows among other items.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, Madam Agyemang said school heads should not be allowed to take advantage of problems bedeviling the Computerized School Selection Placement System and make unjustified demands from parents.

Madam Agyemang said it was amazing that the Ghana Education Service and Ministry of Education in the face of the illegality, appeared petrified into inaction.

She said this was emboldening the offenders to persist in the wrong doing, and warned that if allowed to continue it could deny students from poor homes access to SHS education.

Madam Agyemang praised Parent-Teacher Associations for contributing to the development of schools in the country but they said they should not be over-stretched.