Accra Metro Education Directorate Must Stop Extorting monies from basic schools -CEBSAR-Africa

Center for Better Society Advocacy & Research (CEBSAR-Africa) has cautioned the Accra Metro Education Directorate to put a Stop to the Extortion of  monies from basic schools in the directorate.

In a statement issued by the group on April 15,2019., Heads of basic schools were asked to pay an amount of GHC200  each as a retirement package for the Accra Metro Education Director under arm-twisting.

”These are schools that are facing problem with finances and this behaviour by the director clearly goes to undermine the government effort to ensure quality education at the basic school level.” The group said.

According to CEBSAR-Africa, the act of benevolence is done according to the free will of the giver, however, this action cannot be termed as one. This is coercion and clear abuse of her office as director and must not be entertained.

The breakdown of other levies by the directorate according to CEBSAR-Africa is as follows;

1. Each pupil at the basic level is levied Ghs1.0 from the printing fee for District Education Director.
2. Each basic school is paying Ghs200 from their internally generated fund.
3. Each headteacher is paying Ghs20.00
4. Each people is levied Ghs0.50 on the same printing fees as a reward for the Circuit Supervisors (CS)

”Per this directives, assuming there are 150 schools, an amount of Ghs33,000 will be paid as retirement package.

Again, if there are 5000 pupils in the Accra Metro, the Director then bags GHs5000 and could earn more base on the number of schools under her jurisdiction.” The group said

Punishment
According bto the research team,it had numerous complaints from teachers and headteachers on the ground that this extortion has been going on for a very long time but nobody dares voice them out as those who repudiate or disapprove are often threatened with transfers and other forms of intimidations.

”As an institute that promote the wellbeing of individuals in the country and care about sanity in the education sector, it is imperative that some of these bottleneck practices are prioritized to be tackled to avoid the sinking of the Free Compulsory Basic Education.” The said.

CEBSAR-Africa is  asking the director general to order the director of Accra metro to refund all the monies to the coffers of these basic schools and not to turn these schools as the cash cow for her retirement.

Source:EducationGhana.net