The Deputy Ranking Member of the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak has opposed the decision of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to replace the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) with Parent Associations (PA).
He describes the move as unnecessary as the collaboration between teachers and parents has significantly complemented the government’s efforts over the years in providing universal access to education.
His comments follow GES’ announcement of a decision to reorganize PTA into PA to address financial and operational challenges associated with providing access to education in schools.
Dr. Apaak in an interview noted that the decision to rename PTA as PA is “unnecessary”.
“…We have seen the negative consequences of that. The PTAs have and continue to play a very important role in assisting the government in delivering education. You go to many secondary schools across this country, you will see structures that were put up by PTAs,” Dr. Clement Apaak said in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on Citi News.
The GES has developed new guidelines for Parent Associations, previously known as Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), in pre-tertiary schools in the country.
The guidelines prohibit teachers from being part of the Association, impose restrictions on teachers collecting fees from students preventing them from writing exams, and stipulate that parents whose wards have completed school must no longer be part of the Association.
The National President of the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTAs), Christian Atsu Aikins has called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately reverse the name Parent Association (PA) imposed on the organization to its original name, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).
The Secretary of NCPTAs, Gapson Kofi Raphael, has also expressed dissatisfaction with the Ghana Education Service guidelines on PTAs.
According to him, the decision is unlawful and illegal and must be reversed.