'Relations of private schools and authorities must be sustainable'

The proprietor of a private basic school in Ho at the weekend urged educational authorities to move from the current rather routine relations with private schools to a more sustainable one.

Rev Eric Kordorwu, Proprietor of “God’s Divine Academy” was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the 14th graduation ceremony of Junior High School leavers of the school.

He said Private School/Educational Authority ties currently manifest only during the registration process and periodic ‘cosmetic visits’.

Rev Kordorwu said private schools expected an active interplay that should make transfer of national educational policies and programmes in the private schools fluid.

He said the educational authorities should make access to some textbooks for private schools easier, support pedagogy skills for their largely untrained teachers, and provide other supports that could bring down cost for the good of all.

God’s Divine Academy was established September 5, 2001 with three pupils and three staff, but now, a fully-fledged school, from nursery to JHS 3.

Rev Kordorwu said he was driven by the increasing inability of many families to see their children through meaningful education, to establish the school.

He said payment of school fees was normally staggered for convenience of parents and guardians but regretted that two-thirds of pupils failed to pay their total fees last year.

Rev Kordorwu said that situation resulted in only 11 of the 21 graduating students coming for the ceremony, as others owed the school and hesitant to show up.

He said the school operated on the feeling that “what Achimota School in Accra can bring out of children, God’s Divine Academy can also do in Ho”.

Mr Bismarck Kpoh, Headmaster of the school expressed concern about the tendency of many parents to prioritize purchases of clothes and other frivolities over the educational needs of their children.

A total of 10 pupils were awarded scholarships to attend school free for a year at an over-all cost of GHC4,500 cedis.