The Association of International Certification Schools has pleaded with government to stop interfering in the fees its members charge for online studies.
According to the association, its members have no choice than to proceed with the online studies since the academic calendar they use is different from the one adopted by the Government of Ghana.
In a statement, the association said the current fees its members charge were arrived at following consultations with parents and the need to complete the academic calendar to forestall further financial burdens on parents.
“Unlike other sectors of the economy, we are not in receipt of any financial assistance from government and our only source of income is from school fees. This resulted in schools struggling to pay staff.”
“As schools following an international program, we are required to comply with the necessary regulatory bodies, both locally and internationally, to prepare our students for international examinations. Since International Certification schools are subject to an academic calendar which is not as flexible as the MOE school year, we could not afford to delay the third and first terms without jeopardizing the preparation of our examination students.”
The Association issued the statement following the National Inspectorate Board’s advice to schools to reduce fees in accordance with parents’ demands.
“The NIB threatening to halt our virtual learning program and to refuse registration of schools,” also necessitated the association’s statement.
“We appreciate its mandate to inspect standards of teaching and learning. However, since March we believe the NIB has been operating outside its legal mandate by attempting to dictate the fees schools can charge, and to micro-manage aspects of the school operations which are the sole prerogative and a constitutional right of the management of private businesses.”
“The members of ASICS see the intervention of the NIB towards private International Certification schools as one of the biggest threats to our survival. We would expect a more harmonious and collaborative stance which is sensitive to, and in keeping with the rights of private enterprise in a free market economy, to be instituted within the corridors of power in the NIB,” it added in the statement.
Source: citinewsroom.com
