The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) Navrongo branch has called on the government to as a matter of urgency take steps to correct the discrimination that takes place during the implementation of government policies and interventions in the education sector
GNAPS said the contribution of private schools to quality education in the country cannot be quantified and wondered why government continued to neglect and discriminate against them in its policy direction and interventions in the educational system.
The Chairman of the Navrongo Municipal branch of GNAPS, Mr Abakwile Taminu , made the call in Navrongo on Thursday during the celebration of this year’s GNAPS week on the theme “Challenges of quality education: The role of private schools in the 21st century.”
The celebration of the occasion under the theme: The challenges of quality education: The role of private schools in 21st century. was characterised by floats through the principal streets of Navrongo with pupils and teachers holding placards with inscription, “we need peace in Doba and Kandiga”, “Fair education policies for all,” “Education is teaching our children to desire the right things,” “Unfair school placement must stop,” “Equal rights for all Ghanaian children in education,” “Harassment free learning environment” and “Discrimination of placement.”
Mr Abakwile who is also the Director of Fast Link Academy, noted that although the private schools would have been a profit making entities, if the students and pupils in those schools had equal rights to benefit equally from all government interventions.
He mentioned that apart from the 30 percent quota given to public schools in the school placement policy, private school teachers were also being consistently denied in teachers’ awards during presidential awards.
He stressed that children in private schools were also being denied the opportunity to benefit from free Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) registration, adding, “That is not good enough because they are all Ghanaian children and so they should have the same rights and privileges.”
Mr Abakwile also called on the government to reconsider its decision for all private schools to employ only license teachers to teach at the private schools because it would affect them badly since they are not financially stable enough to employed graduate teachers .
He called on parents and guardians to always try pay their wards school fees on time to enable them to pay their employees on time.
