ALTHOUGH there is the introduction of the fee-free education at the basic level under the Capitation Grant policy, it is regrettable that some unscrupulous heads are thwarting the government’s efforts by doing everything possible to sabotage this very laudable programme.
This is the picture the Daily Graphic captures after assessing the warning issued by the Ghana Education Service (GES) that it will deal ruthlessly with heads who are frustrating the programme of maintaining fee-free education at the basic level.
According to the GES, it has come to its notice that some unprincipled heads are charging unauthorised school fees from pupils when the government is paying GH¢3.00 per pupil in every basic school.
The Daily Graphic endorses the view of the GES that the action of those heads would undermine the government’s policy of Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education and defeat the purpose for the introduction of the Capitation Grant.
We, therefore, endorse the sanctions outlined by the GES in dealing with the problem — demotion, transfer or outright dismissal.
In the same vein, the Daily Graphic wholeheartedly agrees with the GES that “whereas Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) could agree among themselves to levy parents and guardians in order to undertake development projects in public basic schools upon receipt of approval from the service, pupils cannot be sacked from school for non-payment of such levies by parents or guardians”.
But in our effort to nip the nefarious activities of these heads in the bud, all of us — parents, guardians and directors of education at either district or regional level — would have to be willing and prepared to go the extra mile for the sake of mother Ghana.
As parents and guardians, we must quickly move away from the typical Ghanaian “give it to God” syndrome and readily report the imposition of any unapproved fees charged and any unlawful expulsion of our children or wards from any public schools.
The Daily Graphic calls on directors of education at all levels not to always wait for complaints from parents and guardians before taking the appropriate action. Rather, they must be seen to be on top of their job by initiating actions that would deter would-be offenders.
In the not-too-distant past, regular visits by education officers to various schools under their outfit were enough to put the “fear of God” into heads of public basic schools and made it difficult for heads of schools to deviate from laid-down policies. Is that too difficult to do now?
Secondly, we hope the directors would not sweep complaints from parents and guardians under the carpet but rather treat every matter with the urgency it deserves and probe deep into it with the view to exposing the saboteurs.
Without such concrete collaboration from parents, guardians and the various directors of education, our efforts to provide basic education to all children of school-age would be in vain and the nation wreckers would continue to have a field day.
Education is the bedrock of any nation’s development and that explains why the government introduced policies that would put our dear nation on a sound footing.
Any move to sabotage this great dream must, therefore, be fiercely resisted, no matter the cost.
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