Seasoned journalist and co-host of the Happy Morning Show, Raymond Nyamador, has advised parents and Ghanaians at large to put some value and attention to the government schools in Ghana.
He opined that the government institutions under the country’s education sector are relatively on par with most privately owned schools. However, Ghanaians have failed to acknowledge the relevance of government institutions and attributed much significance to private schools.
Speaking on the Happy Morning Show, Mr. Nyamador maintained that everyone is looking at educating their wards through private schools and as such private schools in Ghana have also taken advantage of the “perceived monopoly” to overprice fee charges.
“We have conveniently created a system in Ghana where we have run down our government schools and institutions and we have given enormous oxygen to the private schools as if to say they have the best curriculum and have the best of things. When opportunity comes that one has to take their children to school, everybody is looking at the private school. The private school also knowing that they are perceived to be the best they also feel parents don’t have an option so they enjoy some monopoly. They take advantage to price out fees like they like. Take it or leave it that’s what we are experiencing,” he argued.
He further suggested that parents can avoid “outrageous” school fees charges with the option of the provision of free universal basic education.
“Currently we have the free compulsory universal basic education. But as we speak a lot of parents are not even looking at that but we all want our children to be in the private schools. Some in schools with names like montessori, child centered learning and others like the instruction base learning and all sort of curriculum and names. But what kind of teachers are in the private schools that you can’t find any at the government institutions. They all attend the teacher training colleges all that so what’s the difference. It’s just us and badmouthing. Free SHS has taught us something.”
“From your private schools that you claim are top-notch when we get to the SHS we don’t know the difference between someone who went to private schools and government schools,” he added.
