Leadership of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) is concerned most of its member schools may not bounce back into business even as government lifts the Covid-19 restrictions, one of which is reopening of schools.
The Association explains some schools have shut down way before the announcement because theyhad to go cup-in-hand to pay salaries.
The Association says its major fear is that most of the private schools may collapse because “the Covid-19 wave which forced all our schools to fold up has really affected most of the private schools because unlike government schools which are supported by tax payers’ money, private schools are solely run by school fees, so once schools were shut down, private schools have really suffered because there are no funds to pay our bills and even pay teacher’s salaries”.
Vice President for the Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) John Afrane Boateng while speaking on Akoma FM‘s morning show GhanAkoma told host Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin that “we have over 4,000 schools under our Association and I can tell you that we fear most of our schools who have been badly hit by the Covid-19 may not be able to bounce back because of financial constraints”.
Private schools continue to make a case for support following government’s announcement to reopen learning centers in phases after the Covid-19 restrictions were eased.
But they fear their businesses could collapse if government does not come to their aid.
Mr Afrane Boateng explained that during the 11-month closure of schools, the government supported some of the private schools but “it couldn’t solve all our problems because for example I received GH¢10,000 but it could only pay one-month salary of my teachers, so you can imagine the situation we the private schools have endured”.
The Association further appealed for government support to ensure such schools which are on the verge of collapse bounce back into business.
By Nana Asenso Mensah|Akoma FM|3news.com|Ghana
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