The Minister of Education,Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh has informed the National Executives of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) that it was constitutionally mandated for government to approve their dues inall public schools.
According to the Minister, under Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution, monies that are collected through a public institution (and in this context, PTA dues taken from students) automatically become public funds and are subject to the management and decisions of government. Therefore, if the dues are continually collected through students, the use of the funds was subject to the approval of government.
He made this revelation during a meeting with the National Executives of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in Accra on Friday,March 15,2019.
The meeting was held in his office to discuss the role of the organization in the school setting. In attendance were the Deputy Minister in charge of General Education and other officials from the ministry and Ghana Education Service (GES).
Shift From Dues Collection
He stated in his address, that the priority of the PTA should shift from dues collection to demanding accountability from the schools on the quality of education and their learning outcomes.
“Sadly, PTA has now become synonymous to money collection and this should not be the case.” He lamented.
Rebrand from a Levy Collecting Association
The Minister also charged the PTA to rearrange their priorities, focus on how they can get the best out of teachers, engage and partner the Ghana Education Service (GES) to improve accountability in schools and rebrand the entire PTA from a levy collecting association to a strong body that puts schools on their toes to perform as expected.
PTAs Working on a New Operational Strategy
The members assured the Minister that they are working on a new operational strategy and that the council is far advanced in setting up a new national payment system where all monies will be collected and disbursed to various schools to cater for specific needs.
The meeting concluded on an amicable note; that, the activities of the PTA should not in anyway affect the participation of students in mandatory academic activities and that there will be a new partnership between parents and the GES to demand accountability in schools.
Source:EducationGhana.net
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