Change of ‘Pre-tertiary Schools’ from PTA to PA Explained by GES
The management of the Ghana Education Service has clarified the reasons behind the name change to Parent Association, amidst the concerns raised by the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA)
In a post on social media, the Ghana Education Service said, the name change to PA is because some operations of PTA obstructed the government’s efforts at ensuring universal access to education, specifically at the Senior High School level.
“In the recent past, there have been some developments within the operations of PTAS which thwarted the government’s efforts at ensuring universal access to education, specifically at the Senior High School level.
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These have been related to imposition of levies, which have led to the denial of some students access to academic
work/school facilities and structures by virtue of some parents either refusing and/or unable to contribute to
the activities of PTAs
Some PTAs instituted outrageous levies which sought to defeat the purpose for which the Free SHS policy was introduced. In the same vein, the PTA levies affected the Free Compulsory Basic Education (FCUBE) Policy at the basic
school level. It made some children to drop out of school as a result of the inability of their parents to pay such levies.” GES said in the post.
Meanwhile, the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTAs) has called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately reverse its new name as Parent Association (PA) to the original Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).
The PTA letter indicated that the new name Parent Association (PA) was not the least welcomed, as the generality of its members of the Council of Parent-Teacher Associations viewed it as an imposition.
“Our attention has been drawn to your attached letter dated January 4, 2024, in addition to guidelines for Parent Associations
The PTAs, therefore, seek immediate reversal of the imposed name,” a letter dated January 9, 2024, and signed by the National President of the NCPTAs, Christian Atsu Aikins, said in the letter to the Director-General of the GES.
PTAs, it said, had existed over the years and that the organisation had contributed to the government’s efforts in the past years and continued successively only to ensure that students got inclusive, quality and relevant education.
“In fact, the same 1992 Constitution of Ghana you quoted, Articles 15,16 and 18 mandate freedom of association. Parents/guardians leave their children under the care of teachers and on the whole, headmasters/headmistresses with school management at the pre-tertiary levels, if not in all the basic schools. It is important and forthright to note that parents cannot do without the assistance of teachers in each school.
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It’s important to recognize that teachers aren’t just biological parents, but they also have a parental duty as guardians of our children, which means they’re parents as well. This is a significant distinction, as stated by the Council of PTA in their letter.
