Education

NaSIA charging Private Schools “Unapproved” fees up to GHS14,000

The National Executive Director of Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), Mr. Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah has disclosed that the NaSIA is charging private schools and international schools between GHS1,000 and GHS14,000 to register such schools in the database of NaSIA when there is no regulation indicating how much schools should be charged for the service rendered to these school and public schools.

He added that, where NaSIA decides to conduct it is own checks and carry out its mandate in schools, schools are not supposed to pay unless such schools call for their service. Sadly, that is not the case.

Mr. Gyetuah furthered in an interview during the ASEM YI DIKA show on ATV monitored by Ghanaeducation.org that the private schools’ council will petition parliament and the Ministry of Education on the matter.

“We will through the right to information bill passed request for the approved budget of NaSIA and check for the funds allocated for monitoring and registration of both public and private schools.

If NaSIA which is financed by the state to register schools and build a database is charging private schools, they must also charge public schools and should not act as though they were established to monitor only private schools.

Furthering his argument on unapproved fees been charged by NaSIA, Mr. Gyetuah said low fee-paying schools in the country are also suffering in the hands of NaSIA because, such schools charge as low as GHS25.00 as fees yet, they are made to pay not less than 200 for registration. He added that schools in the lower categories pay GHS200.00 per Creech, KG, Primary, and JHS before paying additional GHS200 for administrative charges.

He said this was not proper because should the monitoring conducted by NaSIA per each level lead to the conclusion that a level does not meet the requirements, would they shut down the school or the level alone.

He could not fathom how NaSIA was going to issue separate certificates to Créch, KG, Primary, JHS which are all in the same schools.

According to Mr. Gyetuah, the regulatory body is financed by the government to carry out registration of all pre-tertiary public and private schools and that NaSIA per the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, Act 1023, NaSIA could only charge approved fees that have been approved by parliament and such monies are to be paid into an account as directed by the Ministry of Finance and approved by the Controller and Accountant General.

According to section 123 of the Act. “The money for each regulatory body shall be paid into a bank account opened for that purpose with the approval of the Controller and Accountant-General.

In his view, the current fees have not been approved and the mode of collection is also questionable as in many instances, schools pay the fees via Momo, and no official receipts are issued.

He advised private schools to pay only fees that are legally approved into appropriate bank accounts of the state for services rendered by NaSIA.

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According to him, prior to the coming of NaSIA, the GES for instance was taking fees other payments from private schools.

He indicated that the council for private schools will reach out to the Parliament of Ghana on the matter.

Source: Ghanaeducation.org