PTA Has Not Been Cancelled -NCPTAs

The Chairman of National Council of Parents -Teacher Association, Mr Christian Astu has clarified that the activities of the Perent Teacher Association (PTA) in schools has not been cancelled as it has been speculated.

He disclosed in an interview with Plan-B FM news during PTA and SMC Fact Finding Committee  general Meeting at Sakumono in the Tema West Municipal.

His clarification comes after news from Educational Leadership , had raised concerns of the inactivity of PTAs in the various schools.

Mr Atsu  said “PTA has not been cancelled but the PTA dues which deprives students from going to school is the problem.”

According to him the PTA is an autonomous body and added that it does not operate under GES.

“There is no document that says that PTA has been cancelled. PTAs can organize themselves. PTA dues agreed by parents to support the school becomes a fee that if your parents do not pay, you do not go to school is the problem,” he remarked.

“PTA dues should not deny any student from going to school,” he stressed.

Mr Astu stated that most PTA Executives don’t know the difference between PTA Dues and PTA Levies . Neither do most of them know the different purposes of the PTA funds .

He appealed to PTA executives in some school to avoid  dues and levies for parents /guardians  which are not fixed by NCPTAs .

He pointed out that the Council was emphatic that it would ensure that the GES operated within limits, since it would no longer tolerate any acts of interferences in its activities.

Meanwhile Nana Ofori Adutwum ,the chairman of the PTA and SMC Fact Finding Committee ,Tema West  called on all head teachers  in schools still in charge of PTA operations , expecially ,PTA finances should stop. He said some head teachers have deliberately refused to hand over PTA operations to PTA executives.

Moreover PTA Executives in those schools have also refused and failed to asked the head teachers to handover PTA operations expecially ,PTA finances.

He said  some head teachers still use PTA funds to finance new projects and repairs and maintenance of work without prior authorization from executives of PTAs and SMCs in their schools .

He concluded that the meeting which was held is expected to resolve all the challenges that existed which affected activities in some of the schools.