GNAPS appeals for increase support

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, BOLGATANGA The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), has appealed to the government to grant its members some tax reliefs and other assistance such as including its members in the beneficiary list of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund)-supported institutions. The Association's First National Vice-President, Mr Steve Revss said this would enable them to improve the infrastructure of their schools for quality education delivery. "IT's been acknowledged that private schools provide currently the best of education mainly because of our supervision and monitoring. We have over the years played and continued to play key role in the human resource development of the nation and it would not be out of place to give them some push by the government,"he added. Mr Revss renewed the appeal in an interview with the Junior Graphic during the associations 2013 delegates conference held at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region. The theme for the three days conference was "Improving private participation in education to meet national aspirations" He emoahsied that such support to privates schools will ease the burden on them and better positioned members to provide better infrastructure to train the country's children. He also stated that the GNAPS will continue to play its advocacy roles to further enhance the importance private schools in Ghana . The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Daniel Syme who opened the conference commended GNAPS for its immense contribution to the improvement of education. He said the give the needed impetus to government commitment to education via partnership with the private sector to deliver, the government has undertaken to establish private schools desks with dedicated officers in all Ghana Education Service offices at the national, regional, metropolitan, municipal and district levels throughout the country. "These Desk Officers are expected to render all the assistance and technical support that private schools need to enable them deliver quality education for the nation,"Mr Syme said. "I assure you that it is the desire of government to see that private schools get all the assistance that they need so that the highly appreciated academic work they are doing will continue to churn out productive graduates who will work in the near future to boost the nation's image economically and effectively to give our country the shinning international image we remain to be," he added. Mr Syme gave the assurance that government is still exploring more avenues to increase it's support for basic education through the second cycle and tertiary levels and this will include the private schools. End Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh QUICK READ GNAPS. Was formally established in 1971 as a canopy association for all schools privately founded and managed. Membership consists of proprietors of pre-schools, all privately owned first cycle or basic schools, Senior High Schools, non-degree awarding schools such as computer , vocational, technical schools and all diploma awarding tertiary institutions. Among is function is advocacy to enhance the importance of the private schools in Ghana.