Private schools need stimulus packages to survive Covid-19 – Group petitions Akufo-Addo

Educational consultancy, Neogenics Education Group is calling for interventions from government to augment the shocks suffered by schools in the private sector, since the inception of the novel coronavirus in the country.

According to the outfit which works with over 500 private schools and 5,000 private school teachers in Ghana, measures taken by the President in the wake of the pandemic have dealt a great blow to their activities.

Following the lifting of the lockdown, the government emphasised that the ban on public gathering remains in force, including the shutdown of all educational institutions across the country.

In a petition to President Akufo-Addo, the group revealed that “80% of private school proprietors are unable to meet basic salaries of teachers and office staff (over 400,000).”

The statement further revealed that parents are unwilling to pay outstanding fees from the previous term in 67% of private schools as 85% of these institutions acquire virtual learning platforms and resources to continue educating children through distance learning.

On the back of this, Lead Consultant at Neogenics Education, Grant Bulmuo, is imploring the government to provide “financial intervention/stimulus to support with the payment of salaries of private school teachers during this lockdown and one month after re-opening.”

The consult also wants a freeze on Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and Tax payments for “up to three months, after schools are re-opened.”

It is also proposing that government absorbs all examination fees as a relief to ease the financial burden on parents for the rest of the academic year.

Neogenics Education fears that failure to intervene will mean over two million Ghanaian children will fall behind in their progress and will be at risk of receiving low-quality education with great consequence on the quality of Ghana’s future human resource.