Committee developing new PTA guidelines submits report to MoE

A committee constituted by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to develop new guidelines on the Parent-Teachers Associations (PTAs) at the pre-tertiary level has presented its report to the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu.

The setup of the committee comes after President John Dramani Mahama directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to fully reinstate the Parent-Teachers Associations (PTAs) in schools across the country.

“The Ghana Education Service (GES) wishes to inform the general public, particularly parents, teachers, and stakeholders in the education sector, of the directive from His Excellency, the President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama, on the full reinstatement of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) in all pre-tertiary schools across the country,” it said in a statement.

The Chairman of the Committee and Africa Education Watch Executive Director, Kofi Asare, said the report added three key guidelines in addition to the previous ones to ensure that parties played their role effectively.

Giving highlights of the three key additions, the EduWatch Director said the first guideline was to ensure that only parents whose wards were in the school could become members of the Parent-Teachers Associations.

He said the second was the clarification of the tenure of the executive of the association, adding that an executive member of the PTA for a basic school could go for only two terms; a term is for two years.

However, the chairman of the committee constituted by the Ghana Education Service to develop new guidelines said an executive member of the PTA in the secondary school can serve for only a term.

Mr Kofi Asare stated that the final new guideline of the Parent-Teachers Associations (PTAs) was the strengthening of the accountability mechanism to avoid any financial malfeasance.

Mr Asare said under the new guidelines, the Association’s account would be audited by the Auditor General to ensure prudent spending, adding that experts and civil society organisations in the educational sector were engaged for their inputs to develop the guidelines.

Receiving the report on new guidelines, the Minister of Education commended the committee for the diligent work done in operationalising PTA back in the management of schools in the country.

The guidelines, the Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, said, were to facilitate the support of a safe environment in the schools, adding that socialisation was a shared responsibility, especially for young learners.

The Member of Parliament for the Tamale South constituency expressed confidence that the new PTAs guidelines would improve learning guided by equity, accountability, and efficiency in the system.