The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the Achimota Preparatory School say they will resist attempts by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to take over the school.
At a news conference organised last week, the PTA alleged that the Regional Directorate of GES sent the school a letter announcing the supposed takeover which was to take effect from today, January 27, 2020.
Speaking to Citi News, the Chairman of the school’s PTA, Henry Haruna Asante, expressed displeasure about the procedure being used by the government to take over the school.
“Even if the government will takeover, the procedure is wrong in our estimation, so we held a press conference on Friday and told all the pupils and parents to come to the school [today].”
He further reassured parents of undisrupted academic activities as the school beefed up security to prevent chaos.
“We don’t want a situation where there will be chaos and anarchy or panic. We don’t want that. So we have informed the police that we need security. If there is an attempt to malign our interest, I think we shall resist it with all our breath and with all our strength. We don’t think we are in a jungle life or in a tyrannical era where people can get up and do whatever they are doing. So we have assured parents to bring their wards.”
“Also, the board of Achimota Preparatory School has claimed that the GES has failed to provide substantial reasons for the takeover, therefore, the board will not relent on its fight against the takeover.”
He further urged all parents, guardians and the entire student’s body to remain calm as management works to resolve the issue.
Background
In a petition sent to the Commission on Human Rights And Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on the 31st December 2019 and sighted by Citi News, the PTA of the Achimota Preparatory School said the Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, Monica Ankrah invited the management of the school for a meeting at her office, during which “she sought to use her position to bully and threaten that our school, a legally registered corporate will be taken over by the GES on the 27th January 2020.”
Ms. Ankrah according to the petition had claimed that “Achimota Preparatory and JHS had ceased making lease payments to the Achimota Senior School since the 1970s hence the government will take over the school lands including our investment on the land,” a claim the Achimota Preparatory School described as false.
In the said petition, the Achimota Preparatory School claimed Ms. Ankrah declared that the school must wind up by the 24th of January 2020 and be ready to be taken over on the 27th of January.