Afigya Kwabre South District GNAPS Week Celebration: Private Schools Urge Akufo-Addo To Reduce Imposed Tax, Proprietors/Headteachers Received Training. [PHOTOS]

Afigya Kwabre South District private schools in the Ashanti Region as part of the Association of Private Schools GNAPS has marked it’s annual week celebration.

As part of the celebration, lots of activities were organized including training and workshops for proprietors and headteachers to equip and adopt them into the new reforms in the Ghana educational sector.

Speaking on the theme: “Challenges of Quality Education, the role of Private Schools in the 21st Century” to climax the week celebration at Atimatim on Wednesday, the district chairman for GNAPS, Mr. Nicholas Banbuni commended the government of Ghana for the collaborative effort it built with the private schools during the covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

However, according to him, private schools are mostly sidelined when major decisions are being taken with respect to final school examination registration fees, as their candidates who are equally Ghanaians are made to pay.

Mr. Nicholas Banbuni added that taxes imposed for them to pay and high rate of interest on loans they acquire for the development of their schools are unbearable.

The Smile Ahead Academy Proprietor said the National Teaching Council NTC, National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) are tax collecting bodies which have been introduced into the educational system are compelling more private schools in the country to collapse.

The District chairman therefore called on, appealed to President Akufo-Addo and education minister, Dr Osei Yaw Adutwum to intervene the situation to reduce and relief them from those taxes.

The private schools week saw various schools across the district, clamour in their well dressed uniforms and marched past to showcase their potentials at the durbar of the occasion.

The program was also graced by major stakeholders of education from national to district level including national first Organizer for GNAPS, the NTC Rep, GES Rep, DCE, Nananom, Reps from NaSIA and Parents.

Addressing the participants, the National Teaching Council Director of Research, Mr. Bernard Kuug cautioned private school teachers to as a matter of urgency upgrade their certificate to become professional teachers since the council will soon descend on teachers without professional certificates.

The Research Director disclosed that their regulatory body ACT warns public and private school proprietors and headmasters not to employ teachers without correct qualification.

Meanwhile, the District Chief Executive for Afigya Kwabre South District Assembly, Hon. Dr. Adu-Opoku Christian in his speech commended the private schools operators in Ghana especially those in the Afigya Kwabre South District for their immense contribution to uplift the standard of education, contribution to reduce unemployment and adding that the government is working hand in hand with private schools to surmount the situation of increase demand for education coupled with limited resources.

He advised the authorities of private schools to use approved textbooks by GES and as well avail themselves to be monitored in coordination with public schools’ quality assurance plan.

For heroesghnews, Rexkin Ohene Boateng hello fm Kumasi.