GNAPS to support party that pledges to address challenges

The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has pledged to support any political party that is willing to turn its fortunes around.

President of the Association, Professor Damasus Tuurosong in a press briefing on April 29, 2024, passionately declared the intention of the Association to campaign for any political party that will address in their manifesto, the problems which he claims are suffocating private schools in Ghana.

“We’re serving notice that this election year, we will play politics.

But let me emphasize that GNAPS will campaign and vote for the political party which pledges to address the myriad of challenges which are suffocating private schools in Ghana today,” he stated.

He explained that this is their only ticket to survival.

“Your Excellencies, this election year, GNAPS is a ripe spinster eager to be laid, waiting for a political party to put a wedding ring on the Association’s finger.

And because we are eager to marry, our list of dowry items is not long:

Scrap the 30% Priority Placement System;Just as it does for public school candidates, Government must absorb the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) registration fees paid by private school candidates;Extend the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme to private school students;Review the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020 Act 1023 to do away with exorbitant regulatory charges by the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), National Teaching Council (NTC), and National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA);Recognize Low Fee Private Schools (LFPS) as social interventions aimed at educating children in deprived communities, and support them as such;Abolish nuisance taxes that are hiking the cost of doing business, and review property rates and business operating permits charged by the assemblies; andAbove all, fix the country’s economy to create a conducive business environment for the operation of private schools.

If these concerns of private schools find expression in any political party’s manifesto, pre-tertiary private schools will propose marriage to that party.”

Read also:

The Association further raised concerns about what they say are exorbitant registration fees, being charged by the , for both BECE AND WASSCE exams, and expressed intention to boycott the next BECE if WAEC arbitrarily increases registration fees once again.

“Enough of the outrageous yearly increments.

The unreasonably high exams fees are forcing many private school candidates to drop out of school in either JHS 3 or SHS 3.

This year, WASSCE candidates in private SHSs had to pay GH¢465 as WAEC registration fee.

However, over the same period, private schools have on the average, increased their fees by only 45%.

Let me serve notice that GNAPS will lead all pre-tertiary private schools to boycott next year’s BECE should WAEC arbitrarily increase the fees.”

Representatives from various political parties including CPP and PPP who were present at the event, expressed their intention to tackle the matters raised by the Association.