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The Concerned Parents Association of the Ridge Church School (RCS) have petitioned the Minister of Education, Mr Matthew Opoku Prempeh over what they say is the School's flagrant disregard of the President’s directive concerning arrangements for third term and the resumption of a new school year in January 2021.

President Akufo-Addo in that directive (which was contained in the 16th COVID-19 update in August) announced the postponement of the 2019/2020 academic year for all nursery, kindergarten, primary, Junior High School (JHS) 1 and Senior High School (SHS) 1 students till January 2021.

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However, the Concerned Parents who are part of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) but have concerns about the running of the school said the school in direct contravention of the President’s directive is proceeding with promotional examinations for all students and demanding an e-learning fee of GHS 1,603.00.

They say in order to force parents to pay the above-mentioned e-learning fee, the school resorted to a strategy which will require parents to collect examination questions in person at the school premises on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, after producing a receipt showing full or part payment of fees.

The parents are therefore seeking the urgent intervention of the Minister to ensure that the RCS complies with the same rules as every other Ghana Education Service (GES) school, and that parents are not unduly penalised and children excluded from being promoted to the next grade in the next academic year.

"The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is acting autonomously and without consulting or seeking parents’ agreement prior to taking decisions on our behalf. Parents, therefore, came together to form the Concerned Parents of Ridge Church School so as to have a true representation in this matter," the petition states.

"There has been no PTA meeting where parents have agreed to the charging of the current fees nor the conduct of the examination. In fact, since March 2020, there has been only one (1) virtual PTA meeting involving parents. This meeting ended abruptly, unceremoniously and without resolution of any issues.

"Contrary to the directive of the Inspector General of the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), the school levied an arbitrary fee of GHS 1,603.00 to be paid for the 5-week long (12th August to 30th September 2020) 3rd Term (Trinity Term) without consulting parents. The Concerned Parents officially petitioned the school administration and Ridge Church Council to discuss this fee. We are sad to report that Ridge Church School has actively refused to acknowledge the petition and initiate any dialogue whatsoever in this regard. Instead, Ridge Church School has adamantly and flagrantly charted its own course, in contravention of the Ghana Education Service and Office of The President of the Republic of Ghana".