President of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), Dr. Damasus Tuusosong has blamed the slow growth of Low-Cost Private Schools (LCPSs) on the implementation of some policies by the National Teaching Council, a government Education Regulatory Body.
During the launch of the Association’s annual Week Celebration, the president noted that policies such as the Teachers’ Licensure Examination and a planned prohibition of unlicensed teachers from teaching in private basic schools are huge burdens for LCPSs, which eventually hamper their growth and purpose of supporting government’s higher education enrolment goal.
GNAPS launched its 2023 week celebration on Thursday, February 27, 2023, in the Upper East Regional Capital, Bolgatanga on the theme: “Education is a right: stakeholders must support low Cost Private School Children”.
Addressing participants during the launch, the Chief Executive Officer of Tupaso Centre of Excellence, Dr. Tuurosong said, the National Teaching Council (NTC) is one of such government agencies that are stifling the growth of Low-Cost Private Schools with policies that prohibit unlicensed teachers from plying the teaching trade as well as the Licensure examination which disadvantages SHS leavers from teaching in the Low-Cost Private Schools.
He said, “…private schools have always recruited and trained non-trained teachers into results-oriented workers who teach with a passion to deliver on education outcomes but the education regulatory bodies Act 2020 Act 1023 prohibits unlicensed teachers from teaching”
He added, “However prior to obtaining the License, one must first be a professional teacher and pass a Licensure Examination. What happens to the SHS leaver who has been teaching in the Low-Cost Private Schools all these years and assisting children to obtain excellent grades and sound moral characters?” – He quizzed.
Dr. Tuurosong noted that, though the NTC has responded to the call by granting Private School teachers the opportunity to have a training program for a fee of GHS 250.00 that will lead to the award of an Emergency License; he raised concerns over the ability of some Low-Cost Private Schools to bear the cost.
He urged, rather than ‘suffocating’ LCPSs with astronomical charges, state agencies most especially the Ministry of Education, to extend support to private basic schools as it does for public schools.
Low-Cost Private Schools (LCPSs) are the category of private basic schools that charge minimal administrative fees as a result of their locations in lower-income communities or as an intentional social intervention to augment the challenges of enrolment in underprivileged communities to quality educational institutions. LCPSs help the underprivileged child, the less-resourced parent(s), and the low-income community to acquire quality education with affordability.
