Free SHS Policy: Past Students of Keta Sec Tech Call for Change in Gov’t Position

Keta Secondary Technical School

Accra, March 4, 2018//-The Past Students Association of Keta Secondary Technical  School (Dzolalians) has  raised concern  about the negative effects of the policy of government in which Parents Teachers Association (PTAs) are not allowed to collect dues since the advent of the free Senior High School (SHS) education in 2017.

According to the past students of the school, by not allowing the PTAs to collect dues is effecting the development and expansion of the school and other schools in the country. The policy is that parents of students enrolled under the free SHS are not to pay PTA Dues.

They raised the concern at a public lecture organized on the role of PTAs in the implementation of the Free SHS under the chairmanship of Prof John Gatsi  with the former Director General of Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr. Charles Aheto-Tsegah as the Guest Speaker , both past students of the school.

The conversion of bungalows for teachers into dormitories for students and girls dormitory block project being financed by the PTA came up to the displeasure of some past students who attended the lecture on Friday, 2 March.

The chairman of the public lecture Prof  Gatsi, in his closing remarks indicated that   the conversion of teachers bungalows to students dormitory is not the best thing to happen and that all stakeholders  should work together to solve infrastructure deficits in the School.

He also expressed the view that it is not possible for government to provide all the School infrastructure needed by all schools within the medium term and given the fact that there  are many ongoing projects by PTAs across the country which may not continue because only the parents of form two and three students are paying.

Prof Gatsi who is a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast therefore called on the government to rethink about its policy on PTA dues.

Mr Aheto-Tsegah traced the history of PTAs in schools and indicated that the educational system has key stakeholders with the role of PTAs as filling the gap to compliment the obligation of government.

He further explained that the management of the Free SHS Policy needs vibrant PTAs to ensure that the policy works for all.

Mr. Aheto-Tsegah called for national discussion on PTAs to ensure that the PTAs contribute their quota to the development of education in the country.

African Eye Report

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