You can’t take our school – Achimota preparatory PTA fights GES

The Parent Teachers Association (PTA) of the Achimota Preparatory School (APS) in the Greater Accra region have vowed to resist any attempt by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to take over the school.

The PTA of APS said the school is a private institution and, therefore, the GES has no right to take over a private entity.

In a letter addressed to the Regional Director of the GES, Ms Monica Ankrah, the PTA said the GES has failed to give any lawful reason, short of regulatory matters why they will have to take over the management of another corporate entity registered and limited by guarantee.

“You are showing disregard for the pupils, staff and their livelihood on a whim and we deserve the right to defend our investments and reputation with any means possible,” the PTA said.

According to the PTA, Ms Ankrah says when the GES takes over “all government policies to public schools shall be applied to the management of the school.”

The angry parents and teachers said they consider Ms Ankrah’s statement grossly uninformed because short of regulatory matters, APS is not a public school and “it is certainly not government policy to go about taking over private properties.”

“Your office has no right to assume management of a school in which it is not party to and which not sub vented by government, your action is tantamount to a hasty coup and meant to result in a physical clash,” they added.

The PTA further noted that if Achimota school land is the basis of Ms Ankrah’s action, then she is engaging in selective action against APS because among several other occupiers of Achimota lands include the Girls Guide, the Center for Scientific and Industrial Research, University of Ghana, several interdenominational churches, a police station, private commercial businesses, private car sales garages and other private residential and commercial building.

The parents and teachers explained that the Achimota Golf Club operate on Achimota lands mostly as commercial entities other than education, but continue to occupy substantial portions of Achimota lands without any action from the Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, however, she has “resorted to concocting reasons to seize APS into government fold. This we consider discriminatory for reasons that can only be described as unfounded.”

The PTA said they believe that the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) will look into the matter “to avoid the wanton takeover of APS.”

“It is our prayer that Ms Monica Ankrah will be directed to halt her actions until the matter before CHRAJ is determined in order to avert any irreparable damage to our long standing corporate image and prevent chaotic and avoidable physical clash that is likely to result from her actions and likely to affect 700 pupils, parents and the livelihoods of over 50 employees in the school premises,” they added.