GNAPS laments over GES discrimination against Private Schools

Private Schools in Ghana have voiced out their frustrations over what they called GES discrimination in the pre-tertiary Education sector in the last five years.

In a press release by the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), the association indicated that private schools have been disadvantaged even though access to Senior High Schools (SHS) through the Free SHS policy has increased.

According to (GNAPS) policies of the GES clearly show discrimination against private schools and their candidates for the BECE.

Comments by the Director-General of Ghana Education Service (GES) during an interview on Asempa FM’s, “Eko Sii Sen” show on Tuesday, the 5th of April 2022 has clearly shown how discriminatory the GES has become against private schools.

In the interview, the Director-General advocated for 80% to 90% of public school (cyto) BECE graduates to be enrolled in category A schools, while the remaining slots are made available to BECE graduates from private schools.

This call by the Director-General has been condemned by the private schools, who believe students should be placed fairly after taking part in a competitive examination without any restrictions and impediments as a result of whether they are BECE graduates from public or private schools.

“In his answer to an alleged 30% admission reserved for public school children, he affirmed that an additional 30% of all placement into grade ‘A’ schools have been reserved for children of ‘cyto’ the term he adopted (public schools)” The Press release indicated.

The Private schools in reacting to the statement said “Indeed, it is sad to say that under a policy guideline from the Ministry of Education (MOE) to the Ghana Education Service (GES), it is stated that, “30% of JHS allocation of all category “A” schools are reserved for the public candidate from public basic schools (JHS)”.

(GNAPS) further indicated that such policies are very discriminatory as they intentionally deny Ghanaian children from private schools a fair chance of being placed in schools that merit their grades and raw scores. “This denies the private candidate the basic right of placement based on merit. Why this discrimination?” GNAPS quizzed.

“Ghanaian children who gain access to the schools on basis of the merit of a competitive examination must not be discriminated against. ” The GNAPS added.

The GNAPS is not excited about what it described as discriminatory tactics by the government, which is hurting private schools. It kicked against efforts to offer children in the public JHS rights to category A schools ahead of their colleagues from private Junior High Schools who sat for the same BECE examination.

“To hold the notion, that, children in the public JHS have more rights to public SHS than private JHS students, is, in the least, unfortunate and should not be coming from the fine gentleman that I know him to be.” The statement indicated.

GNAPS has therefore described the moves by the GES as one that makes the Ghana Education Service look as though it was created for only public school students and not all children of Ghana whether they attend private or public schools.

“It is instructive to know that, the GES over the period has ceased to be Ghana Education Service that the founding fathers envisaged, the implementation agency of educational policies for both the public and private second cycles. And not merely a continuation school for public Junior High Schools (JHS) as my good friend is now presiding over.”

Is it the case that the public schools cannot compete with the private schools and therefore resort to foul means and changing of the rules? In
the past, SHS were autonomous and had the right to their own placement.

The government has withdrawn the BECE registration subsidy from private schools since 2017 which has led to private school candidates paying the full cost of the BECE to date.

READ: 2022 WASSCE Timetable for Ghana: 5 Facts for all School Candidates

“In 2017 we saw the withdrawal of 70% of subsidy enjoyed by private candidates writing the BECE; then it was moved to textbooks; then
curriculum training, 30% placement reserve, and now some are even saying private schools should write the entrance examination.

READ: There is an agenda by govt to alienate private schools – GNAPS

According to the GNAPS, the actions of the GES have created fertile grounds for the perception of a grand scheme to systematically destroy the private schools’ system in Ghana.

Source: Ghanaeducation.org