Assembly Pockets 10% Of Extra Classes Money, Teachers Angry

The La Nkwantanang Municipal Assembly is allegedly flouting the orders of the Ghana Education Service by instituting compulsory extra classes for schools in the area. Investigations by The Finder revealed that the assembly has made participation in the extra classes mandatory for both teachers and pupils. The Finder gathered that pupils of lower primaries pay GH₵10; upper primary pupils pay GH₵20 whereas those in Junior High Schools pay GH₵30 per term for the extra classes. When contacted, the Educational Director of the La Nkwantanang Municipality, Ms Elizabeth Mensah Oduro confirmed the happenings and the payment of the money. A teacher The Finder spoke to stated that �10% of the monies accrued from the extra classes is given to supervisors from the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) of the schools, a member of the Municipal Assembly and an official from Ghana Education Service in the municipality.� Speaking on condition of anonymity, some of the teachers stated that extra classes are not the solution to the poor performance of pupils in public schools. According to them, no matter how well teachers teach, effective learning cannot take place where classrooms are overpopulated. The teachers explained that infrastructure has been a problem of the public education system, which must be addressed to enhance teaching and learning activities. �The use of the local language at the basic level on education normally poses a great challenge to these pupils when they advance to their junior high levels of education,� one teacher said. Madam Mensah, however, emphasised that the extra classes have been going on for the past two months, but it is subject for review come today, Tuesday, July 22, upon which further decisions concerning the implementation of extra classes would be undertaken.