The African Foundation For Educational Development (AFFED) has applauded the government’s decision to reintroduce the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) framework in schools, highlighting its potential to foster better collaboration between parents and educators for the benefit of students.
On Monday, February 17, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu announced the reintroduction of PTAs in public schools, emphasizing that the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to a more inclusive education system.
The move aims to enhance the quality of education by encouraging cooperation among parents, educators, and school administrators.
During a public forum, Minister Iddrisu said, “I am particularly happy to announce that PTAs will be reintroduced under the presidency of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to improve learning outcomes and support the development of quality human capital.”
The reintroduction of PTAs is expected to provide much-needed support for public schools, particularly in areas like infrastructure development, student discipline, and academic performance. Historically, PTAs have played a key role in influencing school policies, although their influence has waned in recent years.
AFFED expressed gratitude to the Minister of Education for the initiative, describing it as a “bold solution” to revitalize PTAs. However, the organization stressed the importance of strengthening the framework for PTAs, ensuring it covers the entire pre-tertiary education level and serves as both a guide and a check on their activities.
In a statement, AFFED Executive Director Ernest Adade remarked, “The restructuring of PTAs into Parent Associations (PAs), aimed at reducing financial exploitation of parents, ended up weakening schools and hindering parental involvement.
For example, a basic school that hasn’t received the capitation grant in over eight terms still lacks parental support due to a directive limiting PTA participation.”
AFFED commended the government’s efforts but urged the strengthening of PTAs through a harmonized framework that ensures effective involvement of parents across all educational levels.
The organization also noted that the National Standardized Test, introduced in 2021, should not be seen as a new initiative.