Eight pre-tertiary private education associations have come together to form a single body called Private Education Coalition Committee(PECC) that would push their interest on national issues and policies.
Some of the institutions that have come together to form the PECC include the Foundation for Education, Research and Development (FERD), Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), Neogenics Education Group and Association of International Certification Schools (ASICS-GH).
The PECC is expected to coordinate activities in the interest of all member parties and represent its affiliates/members in all engagements with the government which would be represented by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and other agencies under the ministry.
At an event to launch the PECC, their spokesperson, Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah said: “We want to emphatically state that the days of divide and rule are over. We have crossed the Rubicon, and have resolved to march forward in unity. The focus of PECC is to strengthen the collaboration of all stakeholders in the private education sphere. This will no doubt result in pupils who are more than prepared to be global citizens.”
Mr. Gyetuah added that the aim of the committee is to manage and coordinate all private education activities under the pre-tertiary level, noting that the Education Act, 2008, empowers private educational institutions to provide education that propels self-development strategies to ensure that their corporate vision and mission are achieved.
On this score, Mr. Gyetuah said the role played by the private education in the country cannot be underestimated, noting that a 2017 MoE’s report on Basic Statistics and Planning Parameters shows that 95 percent of crèches in Ghana are owned by private entities with private ownership of kindergartens standing at 45 percent and primary schools and Junior High Schools are at 32 percent each.
Challenges
He said despite all these legal provisions made for the free participation of private education institutions in the country, private pre-tertiary education has been relegated to the background and lacks national recognition in terms of policy making.
Mr. Gyetuah said the current status quo where there is huge disparity between the private and public school at the pre-tertiary level in terms of government support needs to be addressed to ensure some level of fairness.
“Parents who have wards in private schools are asked to pay their children’s BECE registration fees. On the flipside others in public schools have their fees paid by government. To ensure this is bridged, PECC would help structure private educational systems to bring in a proper coordination in private schools thereby bringing all stakeholders in private schools together as a force to combat the lack of proper governance structures.”
Pre-tertiary private school data
He said, currently, there are over 22,000 and 356 Private Basic and Senior High schools respectively in Ghana aside the number of private tertiary institutions and this was the first time a large number of private school bodies have emerged to help regulate the activities of private education in the country.
A committee member, Florence Adjepong, said their mandate is to develop discussion points for presentation at a stakeholder engagement with the Ministry of Education, represent private education bodies at various stakeholder meetings at higher levels, work on bringing together all private education unions together and again work towards concepts and objectives that will promote private education and welfare of private schools.
Committee members
The Committee is made up of: Samuel Yeaboah, Lead; Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah, Spokesperson; Naa Koshie Lamptey, Secretary; and Evelyn Agyapong, Convener. The rest are Janet Obiri-Yeboah, Florence Adjepong, Kojo Kwakye, Dytessa Ampofo, Juliet Wiafe Agyei, Esther Quist Wood, Charles Adjeitey Sowah, Alberta Yaa Amankwah and James Ackon who are members.
