Opinions of Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Columnist: Sani, Abu
This issue is not about old boy-ism. It is a fact. The bills are there as testimonies. We were all there at the PTA meting. If somebody is saying it is not true let the headmaster come and deny so that some of us can now prove to him with the bills. Why is Mother Ghana doing this to herself? We no more want to hear the truth? Let the H.M come and deny this. They are killing us. The only problem I have with the figures is the five hundred Ghana cedis that the parent mentioned. It could be the printer's devil. It was rather fifty Ghana cedis.
The sad aspect of this whole saga is that people from all walks of life have jumped on the fray and giving all sorts of comment, to the extent that they are insulting the concerned parent. These are few questions that the school authorities should answer.
1) The “concerned parent” mentioned at least three stake holders in the school
a) The School’s Board Of Governors
b) The headmaster
c) The Parent Teacher Association(PTA)
Is it not interesting that none of these groups has come out to deny or comment on it?
2) Can the Headmaster sincerely deny that parents are paying that outrageous fifty Ghana cedis ostensibly for breaking simple school rules? Is that kind of money approved by the GES?
When we cannot even pay our ward’s fees, we are being compelled to dispense with that fifty Ghana cedis.
3) Last term too we were asked to pay another fifty Ghana cedis for the PTA, Why? This one we were supposed to pay the money into PTA accounts. Is it because some of us are not able to attend all PTA meetings sometimes so all kinds of payments are demanded?
As a parent who is an ordinary civil servant, I must say that sometimes we are compelled to pay some of these demands just to make sure our ward’s are in school. For instance as a parent of a new comer, we were made to contribute fifty Ghana cedis each for getting the place prepared for the boys. Yet the following term’s bill indicated that we owed arrears from the previous term. What is going on in this school; is Adisadel College not a government school?
Recently, there was a publication in the Daily Graphic about the PARLIAMENTARY SUB COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION on some of these activities perpetrated by Headmasters of Second Cycle schools. They should proceed to Cape Coast. That is where the big monies are being paid. If the Atta Mills Government came for the poor then the government should take up some of these cases for investigation. Indeed we are also paying some monies for the comfort of Teachers. If that is true, we want to know how much. I may not have any problem with it if the teachers are working for it as happens in other schools, otherwise the school should come again.
My last bit is on the Internet in the school. We are paying for this services but my son in form one tells me the seniors cross the main Accra – Takoradi road to a hotel around the vicinity to access the internet. Is this true Mr. Headmaster? If this is true, then it’s indeed shameful on the part of Adisadel College. As a parent I’m concerned because it may be happening in other schools. What do the school authorities use the Internet money for then?