The Ghana National Council for Private Schools (GNACOPS) has strongly condemned the reported detention of two Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates by the headmaster of Big Six Educational Complex in Meduma, located in the Kwabre East Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Joshua Kodjo Mensah, on Tuesday, June 17, the National Executive Director of GNACOPS, Obengfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah, described the headmaster’s actions as unacceptable.
According to him, the Council would collaborate with government and relevant stakeholders to investigate the incident.
Mr. Gyetuah stressed that the enforcement of fee-related policies should never jeopardize a child’s right to education, particularly during national examinations.
He said, “In fact, we are also picking up feed from the Ashanti region, where a school headmaster has restricted about two children not to take part of the BECE for not being able to pay their school fees and we condemn such kind of action. It’s not in the rightful place because the fact is that, once you set up a school and you offer a service, the burden would not be on the third party.”
“Because the burden here, or the arrangement, is between the school and the parents, the child is a third party. And so it’s an obligation that you owe to the third party. Knowing very well that the partner or the person who you have contracted with has promised you to give you the kind of consideration that you are looking for. And so you don’t extend the enforceability of such kind on the third party, which is the child, it’s wrong. And we, the council, condemn that and we will definitely call for appropriate sanctions for such institutions.
We work with the government institutions to ensure that such a child will not be denied his or her career in terms of this BECE.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
