All private schools absorbed into the Public Education System are expected to survive on their own for the next five years without any assistance from the government, a Deputy Minister of Education, Alex Kyeremeh, yesterday told Parliament.
His statement was in response to a question filed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Jaman North, Mr.Stevens Siaka, who wanted to know when the Diamono Senior High School (SHS) (a community day school) at Duadaso II, would be upgraded.
According to the MP, since the Ghana Education Service (GES) absorbed the school two years ago, it had neither seen any upgrading nor been provided with any infrastructure such as administration block, classrooms, science laboratory, computer laboratory, a school bus, or an assembly hall, among others.
The Deputy Minister explained that the purpose of the Policy Guidelines on the absorption of private schools into the Public Education System, was to avoid the situations where critical initial expenditure in the schools would be shifted to government immediately they were absorbed.
“This can give rise to a situation where people will establish schools without the proper and requisite foundation and expect government to absorb and expand facilities in the school,” he said.
Mr. Kyeremeh gave the assurance that the ministry would send officers to assess the situation at the Diamono SHS for recommendation and consideration.
Responding to a similar question by the MP for Kumawu, Mr. Philip Basoah, who wanted to know what had caused the delay in the completion of the Sekyere Kumawu District Education Office, which started in 2009, the Deputy Minister said work would resume by June, this year, whilst outstanding works including painting, tilling, ceiling, plumbing and furnishing would be completed by the end of the year.
He said the project was initiated and awarded in March 2012 to be completed in February, 2013 at an original contract sum of GHC¢476,353.99, which had been revised to GH¢942,898.05 due to variations in the contract.
Mr. Kyeremeh said the project was currently 62 per cent completed with a total expenditure amounting to GH¢475,600.95.
He said the project had delayed mainly due to the variations and irregular funding, adding that the contractor’s current claims were being processed for payment.
In another development, the Conduct of Public Officers Bill 2013, was taken through the Consideration Stage.
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