Royal Priesthood Educational Consult (ROPEC GHANA), a private organisation that runs special consultation services for private schools in Ghana, has advised private schools to embrace rebranding and proper record-keeping in order to stay in business, especially in a sector that is confronted with a myriad of challenges.
As part of the rebranding, ROPEC GHANA has urged private schools to deploy technology into their activities to help them stay in business in this era of technological evolution, wherein the use of technology has become indispensable in business administration.
These and much more technical advice were offered at a one-day seminar organised by ROPEC GHANA for private schools in Ashanti Region recently, following the business decline of private schools in the Ashanti Region owing to a number of challenges.
These challenges are from numerous factors, and notable among them are lack of access to credit facilities, poor succession plans, and emergence of the dreaded COVID-19 among others.
In a presentation, Mr. Charles Kusi Appiah – the Chief Executive Officer of Corporate Vision Consult who spoke on rebranding schools, told participants that the world is going in the direction of technology and private school owners should begin to use information technology in general operations as well as for academic business and day-today-activities of their schools.
He further urged the schools to expose their learners to modern day information technology by setting up an I.C.T. lab equipped with all the necessary tools and accessories to enhance teaching and learning.
According to him, such technological interventions do not cost so much to purchase and about ten computers in the lab could suffice to facilitate the learning of ICT in a school and hiring teachers to teach.
On the importance of rebranding in a business environment, Mr. Kusi Appiah indicated rebranding would help the institution evaluate and monitor how the school is developing and the need to adopt some modern business trends in its running.
The CEO of Corporate Vision Consult has advised industry players to sit back and assess the performance of their schools, find out what the real challenges are and what can be done to overcome those challenges.
On his part, the CEO of ROPEG, Pastor Thomas Asare Broni – who took participants through the topic of record-keeping, advised school administrators to keep proper records of the day-to-day running of the school – particularly in the area of finance and accounts.
According to him, both manual and digital record-keeping is crucial for smooth administrative running of the school to ensure efficiency in all aspects their daily operations.
Notable among the efficient record-keeping areas are: staff record book, students record book, school building records book, school identification records book, school leadership records book, as well as computer and library books for the school’s smooth running.
Pastor Asare Broni also emphasised the need for separate record-keeping in the collection of fees, payment of canteen, uniform, textbooks among others for effective monitoring and control.
He further advised owners and administrators of schools to have records on every activity for future reference. This, he said, will help in satisfying the GES or any relevant regulatory body when they pay official visits and request information.
Schools that attended the seminar were Wisconsin International University College, Konadu Educational Complex, Christian High Academy and Kings and Queens Educational Centre.
Others included Antosie Daycare Centre, Oysta Technical Institute, Paragon Educational Complex and Glorious Salvation International.
