Capitation grant and SFP make some parents irresponsible - Educationist

Accra, Oct. 22, GNA - Despite the positive impact of the Government's Capitation Grant and School Feeding Programme (SFB), they have made some parents irresponsible in the provision of their children's basic school necessities.

Many parents are no longer providing basic needs like uniforms, books and paying school fees with the excuse that those are now the responsibility of government.

Ms Daisy Asi Ayisi of the Ga East Municipal Education office said this at the inauguration of the Presec Credit Union Cr=E8che and Nursery school, Legon, on Thursday.

The School, which started last year, is to serve the needs of the teachers of Presec Senior High School and Presec Basic schools, as well as the surrounding communities.

The 10-unit classroom block, which includes a sick bay and special urinals for the toddlers, was built by the Presec Employees Co-operative Credit Union from their own coffers.

Ms Ayisi explained that though government had decided to provide school uniforms and food for some selected schools, "it does not mean that parents should not exercise their parental roles". Education, she said, was the only valuable asset a parent could offer to his or her children and as parents they owed it a responsibility and obligation to provide the basic educational necessities of their children for the enhancement of their education career.

She said the upbringing of a child was not the sole responsibility of teachers but parents and the community as a whole, but that "parents think their responsibility ends when they drop their children in school but we should remember that the first port of call of every child is the home".

Ms Ayisi appealed to parents to attend Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings to discuss the welfare of their children and the schools. Mrs Mary Awosi Dua, headmistress of the Presec Cr=E8che and Nursery, said the school, which started last year with 250 children, had now enrolled 350 children with 24 working staff.

She commended Presec Credit Union for the initiative and said plans were far advanced to convert the school into a demonstration and training school to help in the training of cr=E8che, nursery and kindergarten teachers and attendants.

The Board Chairman of the school, Mr Gideon Nana Adjei, said the objectives of the Union included the sharing of their profit with the community and pledged to offer their services in education and health. "The provision of this school is one of our promises and we are left with health which we will deliver pretty soon," he added. He urged the school's administration to ensure the maintenance of the facility. 22 Oct. 10