Govt policies stifling growth of low-cost private schools – GNAPS

Despite government efforts to improve teacher professionalism and the education sector, the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) say some of its policies are negatively affecting the growth of low-cost private schools.

Among other policies, the President of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), Dr Damasus Tuurosong said are the implementation of some policies by the National Teaching Council, a government Education Regulatory Body.

Speaking at the launch of GNAPS annual Week Celebration, he said the Ghana teacher licensure examination (GTLE) and the NTC’s decision to phase out unlicensed teachers in private basic schools are all government tactics to disadvantage the low-cost private schools.

“GTLE 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,” Tuurosong said.

Dr Damasus also said the introduction of the licensure examination prohibits unlicensed teachers from plying the teaching trade as well as the licensure examination which disadvantages Senior High School (SHS) leavers from teaching in the low-cost private schools.

“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 noted.

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.