Proprietors advised to strictly adhere to approved fees

Kumasi, Aug 26, GNA - A Priest on Tuesday appealed to proprietors of private schools to charge fees approved by the Ghana Education Service and refrain from ''using their discretion to charge school fees.''

The Reverend Joseph K. Gyimah, Proprietor of the True Light of Christ International School, said charging high school fees undermines the government's policy of making education affordable and accessible to all.

He said this in an address read for him at the second speech and prize-giving day of the school held at Abrepo in Kumasi.

The school honoured 50 pupils and students, who excelled in various disciplines including good conduct.

Rev Gyimah said since approval for establishment of private schools comes from the GES "it is mandatory that operations of private schools also conform to guidelines and rules of the GES."

He said proprietors of schools should perceive schools as avenues to render selfless social services to Ghanaian children and not to regard a school as "an arena for amassing wealth".

Rev Gyimah also appealed to proprietors to establish senior secondary school alongside their basic schools to ensure continuity of education in the same environment.

''The absence of adequate private senior secondary schools has accounted for the large number of junior secondary school graduates scrambling for limited vacancies in the few public schools.'' He said 12 brilliant but needy pupils in the school have been awarded scholarships under a scheme known as "Rev Gyimah Humanitarian Services Foundation".