Private Schools Free to Charge Own Fees

Although tuition in all public pre-tertiary schools is free, the Ministry of Education (MOE) says all private schools can charge tuition fees "commensurate with the quality of service they offer."

It also said while textbooks supplied to public schools are free, the proprietors of such schools should pay for those going to private schools.

These policies are part of several others in a book prepared by the Ministry of Education and dubbed "Policies and Strategic Plans for the Education Sector ". Essentially, the eighty-nine-page document outlines the Ministry's objectives and how to achieve them.

A debate has been raging on why some private schools charge 10 times higher than their counterparts and why others even price their fees in United States dollars.

Several parents including the Concerned Parents Association have asked government in past to regulate the private school sub-sector and restrain proprietors from charging huge school fees.

Some parents have even petitioned Commissioner Emile Short's Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice to check specific heads of schools from charging exorbitant fees.

Spelling out their position on the matter in favour of private school proprietors will certainly not go down well with most parents.

The policy and strategic document also says parents are responsible for the supply of stationery meant for use by their wards, however government shall supply teachers in public schools with stationery.

Again the document maintains that tuition in all public second cycle institutions are free but private second cycle schools shall charge fees commensurate with the services they offer, but his time, subject to the approval of the Ministry of Education.

But this policy has not been successful in the past. Many private schools are charging fees far above the Edication Ministry's approved fees. Worse still these proprietors are hardly sanctioned.

Parents who have their wards in boarding schools are supposed to pay full cost of boarding, lodging and the general maintenance of their wards in public second cycle institutions.

Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education, said at the launching of the document that there has been a lack of coordination and apparent inconsistencies in policies and programmes of the education sector over the years.

"We are all aware of lack of proper delineation of responsibilities between the Ministry as an initiator and supervisor of policies and its agencies responsible for implementation of policies," he said.

The Minister also noted that the policies and plans document is, therefore, a useful tool to guide the entire education sector. He also said the document would serve as an important source of information that will strengthen the entire education system since public officials in the education sector will know their duties and responsibilities, which are clearly spelt out in the document.

The book did not leave out other supervisory bodies of educational institutions.

The National Accreditation Board (NAB) and the National Board for Professional Technicians Examinations (NABPTEX) which were established to maintain high quality academic work and output has not been able to live up to expectation, the policy document observed.

This is as a result of scarce resources, which have put pressure on the two institutions' ability to deliver and maintain high quality academic standards, which they enjoyed in the past when enrollment numbers in schools were low.

The 89-page book mentioned inadequate physical and academic infrastructure and poor conditions of service as some of the factors that have affected the performance of the institutions.

"Plans to address academic quality will link performance with staff development and additional funding and set standards to maintain programme accreditation," the book said.

To address these lapses the book said quality in education would be maintained through regular self-assessment and accreditation exercises conducted by NAB and NABPTEX.

Additional funds would be set aside to support academic programmes, which are ranked excellent with a suitable balance between science and technology and social science programmes, as well as, universities and polytechnics.

"Higher levels of technician training and teaching particularly in polytechnics will be upgraded and improved," the document emphasised.

The Book also said the government intends to expand access to tertiary education and training for all Ghanaian children.

"The Ministry will raise and maintain the quality of tertiary education and ensure that academic programmes are relevant to the needs of students, society and the labour market", the book said. Government would also to improve the basis of allocating resources to ensure equity in the education sector.

Prof. S. A Amoah who is the Deputy Director-General of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration observed that the public can now hold education workers accountable if they fail to perform because "nobody can argue that he is not aware of the policies since they have been made public."