Parents in Sunyani Cry Out Over Rising Private School Fees

• Parents in Sunyani accuse private schools of charging exorbitant admission, tuition, and book fees, with some paying over GH¢3,000 for books alone
• Educationists warn that the heavy load of exercise books and textbooks required in private schools poses health risks to children and worsens financial strain on families
• School proprietors blame high fees on a lack of government support, rising operational costs, and staff salaries, while experts call for urgent regulation and improved public school infrastructure

Private schools in the Sunyani Municipality have come under intense criticism from some parents over what they describe as exorbitant admission, tuition, and book fees.

The issue sparked heated debate on Ark FM’s Morning Show on Monday, where several parents who phoned in expressed anger at what they termed a deliberate attempt by private school owners to overburden struggling families.

According to the callers, successive governments have failed to properly manage the public education system, forcing many parents to resort to private schools despite their inability to afford the fees.

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One Wofa Akim, a frustrated parent with three children, said that he received a bill of over GH¢3,000 for books alone for his lower primary wards, excluding tuition fees.

“Some of us are not interested in sending our children to private schools, but the government schools are not many, especially for those of us along the Abesim-Sunyani stretch,” he lamented on Ark FM

Heavy Financial Burden On Parents

Checks by YEN.com.gh revealed that on average, each primary pupil (from class one to six) is required to purchase at least 22 exercise books (11 for classwork and 11 for homework), six or more notebooks, and 11 textbooks.

These costs range between GH¢1,500 and GH¢2,000, excluding admission, tuition, uniforms, Friday wear, feeding, and transport fees.

The load of books also raises health concerns. Educationists warn that the heavy schoolbags children carry daily could lead to spinal strain or long-term injuries.

Another frustration expressed by parents is that many of the textbooks in private schools have become “disposable.”

Because the books are designed with spaces for classwork and homework, they cannot be reused by younger siblings, increasing the financial burden on families.

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Private Schools Reaction

Speaking to YEN.com.gh, a proprietor of a well-known private school in Sunyani (who requested anonymity) admitted that fees in private schools are high.

However, he attributed the situation to the lack of government support, the rising cost of building materials, and the expenses involved in paying teaching and non-teaching staff.

“Running a private school without support from the state is very expensive. We have to cover salaries, maintenance, and infrastructure, and all these come from the fees,” the proprietor explained.

Calls For Government Intervention

Commenting on the development, an educationist in Sunyani, Mr. Andrews Opoku, sympathised with parents, particularly those with more than one child in school.

He noted that private schools are exploiting the poor state of public schools, which are often unattractive and under-resourced compared to their private counterparts.

“Parents are being suffocated and overburdened. The Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, and Parliament must urgently find ways of regulating the high fees charged by private schools,” Mr. Opoku urged.

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Meanwhile, many parents continue to call on the government to expand access to quality public schools in Sunyani and across the country to reduce their dependence on costly private education.

Ghanaian father sparks debate over costly textbooks

Previously, YEN.com.gh reported a trending video of a Ghanaian man after he spoke up about issues that had bothered him regarding his child's education.

This came after he took to social media to complain about the cost of textbooks he had to buy for his child in class three.

Netizens, who went to the comment section of the video, shared their opinions on the issues raised by the young man.

Source: YEN.com.gh