Mr. Samuel Ofori-Adjei, President of CHASS
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19th May, 2011
Show More Commitment In The Payment Of Fees - CHASS
THE president of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior Schools (CHASS), Samuel Ofori-Adjei, has urged parents to show more commitment in the payment of fees of their wards to cover the academic calendar.
That, he explained, “is the only way to eliminate the current financial predicament facing second cycle institutions in the country”.
Mr Ofori-Adjei gave this admonishment in an interview with the Times, and warned that the situation where parents allowed fees to accumulate for two or three terms would no longer be tolerated.
He bemoaned the practice by which even well-to-do parents refused to pay the fees while others give the fees to their trusted wards who turned out instead of paying squandering them.
Mr Ofori-Adjei stated that “since students do not pay their own fees, it behoves the parents to regularly liaise with school authorities on issues of payment.
“We know parents have huge responsibilities but coming to the school once a term to explain a financial problem would greatly help in finding solutions to the problem,” he intimated.
Mr Ofori-Adjei, who is also the Headmaster of Accra Academy, revealed that heads personally had to call some parents in some instances but they would not bother thus leaving the heads with no option than to sending the students homes, although that which is not the best option.
He said the government subsidy of GH¢3.40 per student rather aggravates the situation since the amount is not released on time, thus making it difficult for the schools to enter into transactions with supplies and other concerned stakeholders.
He, therefore, called on the government to take a second look at the issue of subsidy and make an informed choice as to whether to continue with or scrap it, so as to reduce the financial burdens on schools.
Also, a mechanism could be devised to identify brilliant but needy students to be offered scholarships while those whose parents are working, pay the fees, he added.
Mr Ofori-Adjei appealed to heads of institutions to manage the little they have till a firm decision was taken on government inflows and urged them to be equally vigilant in their accounting procedures so as to reduce the frequent invitations by the Public Accounts Committee, to answer questions bordering on finances.
That, he explained, “is the only way to eliminate the current financial predicament facing second cycle institutions in the country”.
Mr Ofori-Adjei gave this admonishment in an interview with the Times, and warned that the situation where parents allowed fees to accumulate for two or three terms would no longer be tolerated.
He bemoaned the practice by which even well-to-do parents refused to pay the fees while others give the fees to their trusted wards who turned out instead of paying squandering them.
Mr Ofori-Adjei stated that “since students do not pay their own fees, it behoves the parents to regularly liaise with school authorities on issues of payment.
“We know parents have huge responsibilities but coming to the school once a term to explain a financial problem would greatly help in finding solutions to the problem,” he intimated.
Mr Ofori-Adjei, who is also the Headmaster of Accra Academy, revealed that heads personally had to call some parents in some instances but they would not bother thus leaving the heads with no option than to sending the students homes, although that which is not the best option.
He said the government subsidy of GH¢3.40 per student rather aggravates the situation since the amount is not released on time, thus making it difficult for the schools to enter into transactions with supplies and other concerned stakeholders.
He, therefore, called on the government to take a second look at the issue of subsidy and make an informed choice as to whether to continue with or scrap it, so as to reduce the financial burdens on schools.
Also, a mechanism could be devised to identify brilliant but needy students to be offered scholarships while those whose parents are working, pay the fees, he added.
Mr Ofori-Adjei appealed to heads of institutions to manage the little they have till a firm decision was taken on government inflows and urged them to be equally vigilant in their accounting procedures so as to reduce the frequent invitations by the Public Accounts Committee, to answer questions bordering on finances.
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