We'll Ensure Success of Free SHS Policy - NCPTA President

By Castro Zangina-Tong

President of the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTA), Mr Alexander Yaw Danso, has reiterated the association's commitment towards the successful implementation of the Free Senior High School Policy.

He said that, "Sabotage was not their stock-in-trade" and that the PTAs would continue to provide infrastructure and other necessary materials to support the government's agenda in the provision of quality education in Ghana.

Mr Danso said this in an interview to debunk the claims by some Ghanaians that the leadership of NCPTA was doing everything possible to sabotage the Free SHS which had been implemented by the New Patriotic Party administration under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He said that the National Council fully supported the Ghana Education Service (GES) directive to school heads to refrain from collecting PTA dues and levies as well as dismissal of students who failed to pay.

According to him, the GES rather urged parents to find ways of collecting PTA dues and levies without using school authorities.

"From time immemorial, the schools had been the medium of collection of dues and levies," he said.

Mr Danso further said that NCPTA would abide by the GES' directive to school heads not to dismiss any students who failed to pay.

The government removed all costs that inhibited secondary education when it introduced the Free SHS Policy in 2017.

Some school heads, however, circulated letters to parents stating that their children and wards would not be allowed to attend classes if they did not pay PTA dues.

It was against this backdrop that the Director General of Ghana Education Service suspended the collection of PTA dues and levies in all public senior high schools as well as technical and vocational institutions.

The suspension was directed at the school authorities not the PTA taking cognisance of the tremendous role the Association (PTA) had played in the education sector and, therefore, allowing the heads of schools to collect the dues and levies, would defeat the purpose of the free SHS policy.

"The success of these students who are our own children would be a credit to the parents," Mr Danso said and commended the GES for taking pragmatic measures in ensuring sanity regarding the collection of the said dues by parents.

The NCTPA President said that he had led a three-member team to go round the country to sensitise parents on the need to give their full support to the free education policy especially the Double-Track system.

He, therefore, appealed to all PTA executives to be proactive, unite and work hard regardless of one's party affiliation in the interest of the children who would be the nation's future leaders adding that, "PTA is not only about collecting monies but also is concerned with their welfare".

Mr Danso humbly asked the executives to be transparent in their dealings and refrain from embezzling any funds meant for the association.

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