The Ghana Education Service (GES) has cautioned second-cycle schools not to collect a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) or development levy.
The GES, in a statement, indicated that its management had received reports of certain second-cycle institutions demanding and collecting various levies under the pretence of PTA dues.
It further stated that regional and district directors of education were instructed to monitor compliance and report any violations for immediate disciplinary action.
As new senior high school (SHS) students arrive for the start of the 2025-2026 academic year, some schools are requiring parents to pay PTA levies as part of the registration process.
In response to this situation, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, remarked, “We have information that many schools are not respecting the PTA guidelines”.
“The PTA guidelines stipulate that the Regional Director of Education must receive a work plan and a request for approval for the PTA dues to be charged, and the Regional Director must approve the request before the PTAs can charge dues on their membership.”
Mr Asare, who presided over the committee that formulated the guidelines introduced approximately three weeks ago, stated that PTAs have yet to be reconstituted according to the guidelines because, technically, PTAs do not exist.
“So PTAs are yet to be reconstituted in line with the guidelines. No Regional Director has approved PTA dues for any PTA, so any school charging PTA dues is doing so illegally.
“Many of the schools are charging PTA dues. We have had issues at Tema Senior High School (TEMASCO), where a boy was allegedly turned away because his mother couldn’t pay GH¢ 500,” he revealed.
NKONKONSA.com
