Some parents who have their children in the Ridge Church School in Accra have reported the school together with the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) to the Education Minister, Dr. Mattew Opoku Prempeh, for what they describe as a “flagrant disregard” for President Akufo-Addo’s directive on when the next academic year for basic schools resumes.
President Akufo-Addo announced on August 31 during his 16 Covid-19 National Address the arrangements that have been put in place for the reopening of basic schools and high schools.
“The Ghana Education Service, after further consultation, has decided to postpone the remainder of the academic year for all nursery, kindergarten, primary, JHS1 and SHS1 students. The next academic year will resume in January 2021 with appropriate adjustments made to the curriculum, to ensure that nothing is lost from the previous year”, he said.
But the parents, who identify themselves as the Concerned Parents of Ridge Church School, in a statement dated September 25 have alleged the school has resumed a third term and has conducted a promotional examination for the pupils.
They further alleged the school charged a fee of GHS 1,603 which they demand a full or partial payment before a pupil takes the promotional exam.
According to the aggrieved parents, they received a letter from the school on August 17 which read as follows:
“Please note that if the Government does not re-open schools before then [12th August 2020], Ridge Church School will proceed with our Trinity Term by means of our e-learning programme with improvements and more room for interaction with learners”.
This decision, they say was arrived at “autonomously” by the school and the PTA without consulting or seeking parents’ agreement in a meeting.
“There has been no PTA meeting where parents have agreed to the charging of the current fees nor the conduct of the examination. In fact, since March 2020, there has been only one (1) virtual PTA meeting involving parents. This meeting ended abruptly, unceremoniously and without resolution of any issues”, they explained in the statement signed by spokesperson Ernest Osei-Poku on the behalf of president David Tetteh-Amey Abbey.
They further alleged that the school and the Ridge Church Council have disregarded their petition to have a dialogue on the fees and have “adamantly and flagrantly charted its own course, in contravention of the Ghana Education Service and Office of the President of the Republic of Ghana.”
They are thus calling on the on the Education Minister to intervene in the matter as the situation has the potential of unduly penalizing parents and their children.
By 3news.com|Ghana