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‘Free SHS is meaningless without the support of parents’ – National Council of PTA
The Western Regional Chairman of the National Council of Parent Teacher Associations, Daniel Vroom-Laryea, has bemoaned the fact that government has excluded from the management of the senior High schools.
According to him, although the free Senior High School policy is a good one, it will not succeed without the support of parents.
“Parents are now being prevented from helping the schools, but we must know that free SHS is meaningless without the support of parents. We even recorded over 21 pregnancies in one of the senior high schools last year, because the school had no wall, and the students were being sneaked out. We are not being made to help, the government has stopped PTA from doing everything in the schools and that is a problem”, he added.
Mr. Vroom-Laryea said this in an interview on Connect FM’s Omanbapa morning show on January 15.
His comment was in reaction to a revelation by the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Director of the Ghana Education Service, Sally Nelly Coleman that over 137,000 fresh students placed in the 2023 Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) into Senior High Schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training Schools across the country, have not showed up for admissions in their various Senior High Schools.
It would be recalled that the Ghana Education Service in the latter part of last year, released the computer placement list for fresh students who were to be admitted into the various Senior High Schools in the country. The reopening date was also stated as January 3, 2024.
Mr Coleman, in an interview on the same show, described the situation as very worrying.
“About 590,000 were placed in the various schools nationwide. So far, 453,000 have reported for admissions. So about 137,000 are still home, they have not reported to their various schools for admissions. We are pleading with parents to go for the admissions” ” she lamented.
Mr. Vroom-Laryea said the situation could be attributed to what he termed unfavourable reopening date.
“The re-opening date for the schools was not favorable for both parents and the students. Cocoa farmers in the rural areas are complaining that they had little yield in the year and so they don’t have the money to take their children to school. They must fill their chop boxes, some parents are even renting for their children to be in school, they must buy a lot of things for them to be in school. So, all those who have not reported, it is due to financial issues. The free SHS is becoming more expensive than we thought. There are more hidden issues to the free senior high school than we have all been made to believe,” he indicated.
Source: 3news.com
The Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for stronger action to promote gender equity and create more opportunities for women in the workplace.
She made the call in a Facebook post after joining staff at the Presidency of Ghana to mark International Women’s Day.
The celebration was held under the theme “From Commitment to Action: Promoting Equity for Every Woman in the Workplace” and focused on recognising the achievements of women while reflecting on the work needed to ensure equal opportunities.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang extended warm wishes to women across Ghana and noted that women have always played key roles in the country’s communities and economic activities.
According to her, women in the past served as healers, traders and queen mothers who contributed to leadership and governance in traditional societies.
She explained that Ghana’s cultural history shows that women have long provided knowledge, leadership and innovation to help develop communities.
The Vice President however noted that current disparities require society to examine systems and structures that may have limited opportunities for women.
She stressed that advancing gender equity will require deliberate actions and the mentoring of young women to prepare them for leadership roles.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang recognised women whose work takes place in markets, streets and small trading spaces across the country.
According to her, these women form the backbone of local economies and continue to demonstrate resilience despite the difficult conditions they face.
She commended women working at the Presidency for their dedication and leadership and reaffirmed the need to promote respect, fairness and opportunity for every woman.
The Vice President further called on both men and women to work together to break barriers and ensure that women can fully contribute to Ghana’s development.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
