The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has dismissed claims that graduation ceremonies in private schools impose excessive financial burdens on parents, asserting that such events should not be associated with the issues that prompted the Ghana Education Service (GES) to prohibit graduations in public schools.
Enoch Gyetuah, the National Executive Director of GNACOPS, stated that private schools have effectively organized graduation ceremonies for decades by engaging with parents and adhering to established guidelines.
“Parents have not expressed any concerns regarding financial difficulties related to these events,” Mr. Gyetuah remarked during an interview on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show on Wednesday.
His remarks follow the Greater Accra Regional Directorate of the GES’s recent ban on graduation ceremonies, prom nights, and similar events in both public and private schools, aimed at fostering discipline, equity, and child protection while alleviating financial pressures on parents and guardians.
Mr. Gyetuah contended that the issues highlighted by the GES primarily arise from practices in certain public schools rather than the private education sector.
“Private schools have a longstanding tradition in this area, and graduation ceremonies can be significantly attributed to the inception of private education in Ghana,” he stated. “It is important to note that some public schools have emulated private schools, albeit without proper execution.”
He emphasized that private schools have been conducting graduation ceremonies for over 50 years, characterizing them as educational occasions that celebrate students’ achievements and learning.
“For more than five decades, private educational institutions in Ghana have been graduating students. We have hosted celebratory activities that also serve as excellent platforms for educational exhibitions, which are integral to the educational process,” he explained.
According to Mr. Gyetuah, graduation ceremonies in private schools are collaboratively planned by school authorities and parents, ensuring that the activities remain affordable and centered on the welfare of the students.
“When organizing graduations, it is not solely the responsibility of private school owners,” he clarified.
“A committee is formed that includes parents and a council member to ensure adherence to the new guidelines and other activities that are beneficial to the learners.”
He noted that private schools have also instructed their members to conduct ceremonies with an emphasis on “parental engagement, modesty, dignity, inclusiveness, and sound corporate governance structures and accountability.”
Mr. Gyetuah affirmed that parents voluntarily select private schools for their children and are actively involved in decisions regarding graduation ceremonies.
“It is their educational right to choose private schooling for their children, a choice that no one can restrict,” he concluded.
Source: Channel1Tv
Tag: Daily Newsflash, GNSCOPS
