GES has no intentions to alienate PTAs

Accra, Feb. 12, GNA. -Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, Director- General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) on Tuesday said that the directive to incorporate all Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) levies into the mainstream accounts of second cycle institutions was not meant to cripple PTAs.

He said the main reason wss to ensure transparency and to avoid the situation where only executives control PTA funds without the knowledge of head of institutions. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview of Tuesday, Mr Bannerman-Mensah said, "we need PTAs and the directive is also enable parents to be aware of how the accounts are operated, as well as prevent school authorities operate PTA accounts as in some schools without prior knowledge of PTA executives". Sometime in October last year, the GES directed that all levies and related expenditure should be captured in the financial statement of the institutions even though separate cash books could be kept for easy tacking of data.

"This implies that the institutional Accountants will collect all levies and pay same to the appropriate bank account". According to the directive, since the PTA levy is being treated as public funds, it should be operated in line with all existing financial regulations, such as passing of supplies through the stores. The GES further directed that all approved activities should be directed to the institutional Accountant who would initiate the payment process and file all payment vouchers plus appropriate attachment for auditing.

Among others, the GES said the signatories to the bank account for operating levies shall be the Headmaster or Headmistress, Accountant and

the P.T.A. Chairman.