Pupils of private schools in the Kassena-Nankana Municipal and West District in the Upper East Region have made a passionate appeal to government to support private schools by directing part of the budgetary allocation given to public schools to them.
The pupils made the appeal during the Ghana National Association of Private Schools week celebration held in Navrongo on Wednesday.
The celebration was held on the theme: “Education is a right but Quality education is a privilege-Private schools have the key.”
Some of the pupils told Citi News that though they are enrolled in private schools because they are Ghanaian children it is important for them to also benefit from government subventions including capitation grants, free teaching and learning material like chalk, school uniforms, textbooks, furniture among others.
The school pupils drawn from 40 private basic schools in the two districts marched through the principal streets of Navrongo with placards with inscriptions: “Private schools must be supported,” “Capitation Grants is our right,” “Mr. President help private schools in Ghana,” “Education is a right but quality education is a privilege” among others.
A pupil of standard preparatory school Dezera Jessica explained that “capitation grant is money given to Ghanaian students in public schools but we private schools don’t enjoy. I am appealing to government to support private schools with capitation grants.”
Another one, Bampe Denze a pupil of Fast link academy said his parents pay tax to the government hence he must also benefit from support his colleagues in public schools receive.
Navrongo municipal chairman of private schools, Kamboe Affah Remy lamented that governments over the years have failed to provide private schools across the country with prerequisite teaching and learning materials to improve the educational standards in the country but appealed to it to reconsider its policy and give support to private schools.
Mr. Kamboe stated that, “capitation grants is for all Ghanaian children of school going age in the basic schools, we in the private schools also have basic schools and we have Ghanaian children so it is very unfortunate that government will deny students in the private schools and demonstrate government unwillingness in complementing the efforts of private education at the basic level.
But we believe that in due time capitation grant, text books, chalk and all basic logistics that makes teaching effective in class will be provided by government to private schools.”
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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana