A directive from President John Dramani Mahama has necessitated the reinstatement of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) in pre-tertiary schools across the country.

This was disclosed by the Head of Public Relations at Ghana Education Service (GES), Daniel Fenyi, on Thursday, July 17.

The move, he explained, will ensure effective collaboration between parents and teachers for quality education for students.

“All heads of public senior high schools, technical, and STEM schools are to operationalise the reinstatement with immediate effect.

“This move is aimed at strengthening the collaboration and involvement of parents, communities and teachers in the delivery of quality education to Ghanaian learners,” parts of the statement added.

Under the Akufo-Addo-led administration, public second-cycle institutions observed a limited influence of PTAs in school management, particularly regarding financial assistance to augment the government’s efforts under the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

In 2019, the GES ordered the suspension of PTA levies after reports emerged that some school heads were abusing the collection of dues and levies, undermining the administration's objective of eliminating cost as a barrier to secondary education in Ghana.

Consequently, teachers were exempted from the Parent-Teacher Association, and the organization was rebranded as the Parent Association (PA).

According to the GES, the decision to rename PTA as PA aimed to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for parents and guardians.

This change, however, limited teachers’ roles in school management, as the PA lacked the level of engagement and decision-making authority that PTAs traditionally held.

The decision to scrap PTAs faced criticism from various education stakeholders, with many citing reduced teacher involvement and a weakened support system for students.

Although the GES clarified that teachers had not been excluded from Parent Associations, many argued that the shift rendered the association ineffective.