THE GHANA Education Service (GES) has suspended the collection of Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) levies in all public senior high, technical as well as vocational schools across the country.
Even though some heads of senior high schools and technical/vocational schools have kicked against the latest decision by the GES, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Associations, Vincent Atuure, said the decision was in the right direction.
According to him, some school heads were hiding behind the PTA levies to exact money from parents.
Mr. Atuure said the suspension was to streamline and review the levy in public schools and for a general consensus to be reached on an appropriate amount which would not overburden parents.
He continued that PTAs were currently autonomous and as such, were private associations and no longer under the control of the schools, even though the PTAs worked hand in hand with the school heads.
He added that school heads were earlier warned not to get involved in PTA matters.
“People in the school, especially the heads are mingling in the whole thing and you see, the efforts of government are being thwarted; because government is taking the fees off the shoulders of parents. Now you see heads coming out with bills, some as much as GH¢1,000 for students to pay and that simply means, if a student is not able to pay that money, he or she cannot attend class.”
Mr. Atuure expressed the belief that those charging high PTA levies were just trying to sabotage government’s efforts at removing the financial barriers confronting parents in their quest to give their wards senior high school education.
“Before the suspension, there was a circular announcement informing all heads that even if they will have to take special levy, that should not be more than GH¢100 per semester and we have seen that, some schools are taking as much as GH¢1,000.
“Some heads collect the PTA levies, and fail to hand them over to the PTAs. They like to keep the money and use it. We have sent a circular to all schools that they should take their hands off PTA levies, but they keep doing same.”
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