Council of PTAs upset with second lady

The National Council of Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) has expressed “great shock and dismay” with the Second Lady’s reported rebuke of a headmistress who requested basic inputs like chalk and log books.

While presenting five computers to Kukurantumi Presby Primary School, Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, wife of the Vice President, blatantly denied an appeal from the headmistress of the school to provide the said items.

“How much is a box of chalk? I won’t give you chalk today, I won’t give you chalk tomorrow”, the second lady was quoted as saying.

She was also reported to have lamented the over-reliance of parents on government’s free school uniforms, saying that government had “spoilt” parents by providing school uniforms which had now made some reluctant to provide for their children.

The National Council of PTAs, in a statement signed by National President Mr Alexander Danso said they believe Mrs Amissah-Arthur “did not speak well” and must apologise to the headmistress, parents and Ghanaians in general.

They said the provision of basic teaching and learning inputs is widely believed to be the responsibility of government and Ghanaian parents had also not requested government to provide school uniforms.

“It is the government’s own decision to do so and if it is becoming a burden, and cannot continue further this project, then she should back out rather than allowing… officials to insult the dignity of Ghanaian parents,” the statement said.

The council said since PTAs support government in the education sector and so was needless on the part of Mrs Amissah-Arthur to tell Ghanaian parents to help.