The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has urged the Ministry of Education to abolish the Parents Association in Senior High Schools if it is compromising the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
This appeal follows the suspension of the headteachers of Ahantaman Senior High School and St. Roses Senior High School, Akwatia, by the Ghana Education Service (GES) over allegations of charging unauthorized fees.
According to NAGRAT, these fees were initiated by the Parents Association, not the school authorities, making the GES sanctions unjust.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, October 2, NAGRAT President, Angel Carbonu called for the immediate reinstatement of the headteachers.
“With the introduction of the Free Senior High School policy, the role of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) was discontinued, leaving only Parents Associations (PAs) without teacher involvement,” he explained.
“In this case, the PA decided amongst themselves to contribute a certain amount for a specific purpose. If the Ministry believes the existence of these PAs is hindering the smooth implementation of the Free SHS policy, they should consider banning them altogether.”