Allow PTAs in public SHS fix own dues - Council

The Volta Regional Chapter of the National Council of Parent-Teacher-Associations on Tuesday described as “unrealistic” and “very undemocratic” the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) policy, which sets a ceiling on PTA levies and dues in public second cycle schools.

“For one thing, PTAs are democratic social units moved to action by the compelling interest of the majority,” Mr Francis Ovulley, General Secretary of the Association, said at a media conference in Ho.

Therefore, he said, the policy that regulated PTA levies was improper and infringed on the rights of parents because all PTAs were legally established and had constitutions.

Mr Ovulley explained that PTAs reflected the state, character, and aspirations of each school and to standardise their levies and dues would stifle innovation and the desire to create better teaching and learning environment.

He, consequently, asked the GES to give the due recognition to PTAs and allow them to play their role as part of the “effective tripod structure” in the provision of quality education, while it (GES) also focused on its monitoring and supervision role and not the management of PTA dues and levies.

He said it was time the PTAs were allowed to generate and run their own revenue to improve school environments rather than the current situation where some school heads manipulated school structures to become signatories to PTA accounts, and loaded PTA levies with many items.

“We recount a directive from GES asking heads of SHS to incorporate PTA funds into mainstream school accounts and making school Heads and Bursars signatories to PTA accounts thereby usurping PTA funds in the part,” he stated.

He said the situation where PTAs were asked to seek approval from GES before billing themselves for projects at schools must also stop because they were not accountable to the GES but themselves.

Mr Ovulley said, “petty corruption and systemic laxity in GES’ governance and regulatory machinery must be boldly confronted…to effectively cure the mercenary culture that bedevils the educational system.”

He called for PTAs to be involved in the “on-going, open and sincere” dialogue over education reforms; else the Association would withdraw its “voluntary” services to the schools.

The GES has explained that its policy is intended to check the charging of unapproved fees and levies that put heavy financial burden on parents and students.

Meanwhile, the GNA has learnt that some school heads in the Region had been invited to the GES headquarters in Accra to answer for some unapproved levies on their bills.