Parents of former Achimota Preparatory School now Achimota Basic 2 seem unhappy about authorities new directive asking them to pay their wards fees.
According to the angry parents there is no basic school in Ghana under GES that takes school fees due to the implementation of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic School Policy by the government.
Currently, pupils who attend school at Achimota Basic 2 parents have been asked to pay levies ranging from GH380.00 for primary and 450.00 for Junior High.
This situation at Achimota Basic 2 started immediately GES took over management of the school in late March 2021 from management of Achimota Preparatory School
Speaking to the Republic Newspaper about the situation, the former Vice Chairman of Achimota Preparatory School Parents Teacher Association (PTA), Mr Bernard Anaba said the only good thing the current interim management have done is to actively engage in collecting levies from parents in a government basic school.
“As parents, we don’t understand why a GES own basic school should pay lives or better still school fees and for that matter we are resisting payment because we think it is illegal,” Mr Anaba stated.
He said when the Minister of Education, Mr Yaw Osei Adutum granted interview to Peace FM some months ago about the ongoing tussle between GES and Achimota Preparatory school did not promise of taking levies from parents nor school fees.
A circular sighted by the newspaper and circulated to parents directed them to pay levies. The circular reads “You are kindly informed that Friday June 18 and Monday June 21, 2021 are midterm’s break. School resumes on Tuesday June 22, 2021. Parents and Guardians are reminded to settle their wards levies on resumption.”
The former PTA Vice Chair said the interim management says they are collecting the levies to pay the teachers but what “we are saying is that when GES absorbed the management of the school, didn’t they absorb the teachers too?”
He said on daily basis, pupil complained of teachers abscetism in the school which he said had translated to indiscipline and has lower the standard in the school.
“These constant complaints moved the PTA to meet with the interim management to discussed the return of the former headteachers of the school who was axed by GES after taken over but that meeting didn’t yield any results because the new management refused the request of the PTA,” he stated.
All effort to reach the Municipal Education Director for Ga North, Mrs Cynthia Aboni proved futile as calls and text messages to her cell phone went unanswered.
