Parent Associations are School Particular — GES

The Ghana Education Service (GES) says it has no relation with the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTAs).

It said Parent Associations (PA) or Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) in the past had always been school-specific with no national orientation.

“The clear criteria for becoming a member of the association is to be a parent or guardian with a child or ward in the said school in which the association operates,” a statement signed and issued by the Head of the Public Relations Unit of the GES, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, has stated.

The Guidelines

The GES recently released the first-ever Guidelines for the Operation of Parent Associations (PAs), formerly known as Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA), in pre-tertiary schools in the country.

Among others, it said no student should be held responsible for the actions and inaction of any member of the PA or the PA as a body.

The implication, it said, was that no student should be linked to the activities of the PA either through the school, his or her parent, or guardian.

However, in a rebuttal, the NCPTAs called on the GES to immediately reverse the PA imposed on the organisation to its original name, PTA.

The Roles of parents (PA)

The statement said the guidelines for the operation of the Parent Associations in schools were to create a welcoming learning environment for all students, adding that “we continue to believe that parents are critical partners in the delivery of education”.

It explained that in the current dispensation where the government had absorbed all fees, including intervention grants, “GES saw the need to update its guidelines on how parent associations are to operate in our schools”.

The statement was clear that the GES had not excluded teachers from participating in the association.

“In fact, clause six of the guidelines clearly articulates that a teacher or staff of a school that has a child or ward in the school may join the association, including becoming an executive of the association.

“As captured in the Guidelines for Parent Associations, the GES appreciates and values the immense contributions that parents and guardians individually and collectively make to schools.

“We will, therefore, not compromise on that partnership as reflected in the school-specific associations and the support they provide to their schools,” the statement added.

The Pull Quote

“The clear criteria for becoming a member of the association is to be a parent or guardian with a child or ward in the said school in which the association operates.” that has a child or ward in the school may join the association, including becoming an executive of the association.

“As captured in the Guidelines for Parent Associations, the GES appreciates and values the immense contributions that parents and guardians individually and collectively make to schools.

“We will, therefore, not compromise on that partnership as reflected in the school-specific associations and the support they provide to their schools,” the statement added.