By Francis Kwabena Cofie
Accra, Oct. 23, GNA – Mr. Christian Atsu, the President of the National Council of Parent Teacher Associations (NCPTA), has called on the government to collaborate with the Council to promote development in all learning institutions.
He said the Council has opened its doors to accommodate discussions on pertinent matters in the schools that border on the interest of parents and by extension, their children who are the relevant and beneficiaries.
He bemoaned the situation where school heads are given certain directives for implementation at the blind side of the PTAs, a situation he said did not augur well for achieving realistic development through the concerted efforts of all relevant stakeholders in the scheme of things.
Mr. Atsu who made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency admonished school heads to speak openly on issues that are not in harmony with the laid down structures and policies without fear of being victimized once it was to seek the betterment of learners and parents alike.
According to him, school heads have signed Performance Contract, yet they face several challenges that militate against their goals such as infrastructure deficit, teacher–student ratio deficit, classroom overcrowding, among other development challenges.
Mr. Atsu said in the face of such situation, when logistical support to the schools is not provided on timely basis, school heads are compelled to adopt all strategies to keep the schools running including resorting to parents to provide support, organizing extra classes, among others.
He said, “but for the intervention of PTAs, the schools might have been in a more distressed situation than now,” adding that a most prudent approach is for government to always collaborate with the PTA sin the management of the schools in a formalized partnership to ensure sustainable development.
“We parents are there to assist the government in the scheme of things so that the benefit would trickle down to our children,” he stated.
The PTAs, he said, continue to support the government in driving development in most schools, citing projects such as provision of duty posts for teaching and non-teaching staff, supply of rice and other feeding materials.
Others include furniture, a computer laboratory, school buses, furnishing the staff common room and supply of A4 sheets and printers.
He pointed out that the association has existing operational documents, constitution and manual under which it operates.
Questioned why some schools use the PTA as a medium of levying illegal and repetitive charges on parents, he disclosed that the association only charges dues and levies per semester, which is GHC21 and GHC100 upper limit respectively, adding that the levies are targeted at development projects.
“For any charges above this threshold, approval must be sought from the National Council of PTAs, “he said.
No student, he said, is sacked for non-payment of PTA monies although they are the ultimate beneficiaries.
Explaining further, he said, however if parents, on their own volition decide to support their children or a cause of development in a school in a concerted voluntary effort, that situation does not raise any concerns.
He added, however, that, if a staff or school under the Ghana Education Service was imposing any charges apart from these stated levies and dues, that has not been given the blessing of the association.
He mentioned that PTAs are voluntary and non-statutory bodies registered under the companies Act 2019 (Act 992).
He indicated that PTAs establishment, governance and operation fall strictly within the scope of their constitution and registration framework and not under the control of Ministry of Education or Ghana Education Service.
The (NCPTA) is an umbrella body of all PTAs in pre-tertiary education institutions in Ghana.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah