Private schools cautioned over high school fees

Ashaiman, Feb. 21, GNA - The Tema Municipal Director of Education, Mrs Lucy Kwapong, has appealed to proprietors of private schools to take into consideration the level of salaries of most Ghanaian parents when deciding on the fees to charge.

She pointed out that some of the school fees some proprietors charged were very high if one considered the salaries received by most Ghanaian parents at the end of the month.

These concerns were contained in a speech read on her behalf at a day's workshop organised by the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), to mark its annual weeklong celebration.

It was under the theme: "Building a vibrant self-reliant GNAPS; the role of the individual proprietor.

She stressed the need for every private school proprietor to register his school with the Municipal Education Directorate and said registration and inspection of the schools made it possible for the directorate to check sub-standard schools.

Those schools, which had not met the standards set by the Ghana Education Service, would be closed down during such inspections, she added.

Mrs Kwapong stated that a good relationship between a proprietor and the education office gave him the opportunity to be part of the various management workshops and training programmes organised by the directorate.

This she said would equip the proprietors with the necessary skills to manage their schools effectively and promote teaching and learning in their schools.

Proprietor she added when equipped with the skills acquired will then be in the better position to "help in building a vibrant and self-reliant association of private schools".

She however reminded the proprietors on their responsibilities to ensure that they provided a sound and safe environment in their schools to enhance teaching and learning.

The Zonal Chairman of GNAPS, Mr Ebenezer T. Amanor said currently the Association had over 140 registered members who were bent on working hard to ensure that no child was left out in the town as far as basic education was concerned.