Former Education Minister condemns Private School Associations SHS/TVET priority placement petition

Former Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has condemned the Private School Associations for petitioning the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over the computer school placement.

Four Private School Associations have petitioned the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the government’s 30% priority placement into Category A second-cycle schools for public students who sit for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

They argued that the 30% placement priority given to Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates from public schools undermines the constitutional rights of private school students, as outlined in Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.

“In accordance with Article 25(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which clearly affirms that ‘Every person shall have the right, at their own expense, to establish and maintain private schools at all levels and of such categories, subject to conditions as may be provided by law,’ it is evident that the Constitution protects the right to establish and maintain private educational institutions,” the Associations stated.

The Private School Associations are the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), the Ghana National Association of Private Schools, The National Council Of Parent-Teacher Associations of Ghana and the Private Education Coalition (PEC).

However, on Tuesday, November 19, during an engagement with students of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), the New Patriotic Party (NPP) running mate rebuked the private schools for their stance.

“I heard Ghana National Association of Private Schools are telling us that they are going to court to stop the Free SHS for allocating 30 per cent of placements to poor children who go to public schools: the audacity, the audacity, the nerve.

The reality was that when I introduced 30 per cent for equity, I didn’t pluck it from the sky. It already existed but abused for the well-connected and the privileged,” the former Education Minister stated.