In a move signalling a renewed focus on stakeholder engagement in education, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced the full reinstatement of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) across all Senior High, Technical, and STEM schools in the country.
The directive, issued under the instruction of President John Dramani Mahama, marks a significant policy reversal aimed at fostering stronger collaboration among parents, educators, and communities to improve the quality of education.
According to a statement signed by Daniel Fenyi, Head of Public Relations at GES, the reactivation of PTAs is to ensure that parents and guardians once again play an active role in supporting school governance, accountability, and learner development.
“This initiative is about more than just meetings—it’s about empowering parents to take their rightful place as partners in the education of their children,” the statement noted. “GES believes the active involvement of parents and communities is critical to achieving educational excellence.”
The GES also disclosed that a detailed framework to guide the reconstituted PTAs—covering structural arrangements, roles, responsibilities, and financial transparency—will be released soon to ensure consistent and efficient operations nationwide.
PTAs were significantly scaled down in 2019 following concerns over alleged financial mismanagement and abuse of levies by some school authorities, particularly in the wake of the Free SHS policy. Critics at the time argued that PTA contributions were being improperly enforced or diverted, leading to a sharp decline in public trust.
However, the GES now believes the timing is right for a fresh start—with new accountability systems expected to prevent past abuses while restoring a critical support system that many schools had come to rely on for development projects, student welfare, and teacher-parent communication.
Education stakeholders have welcomed the move as a necessary step in strengthening school-community relationships and complementing government efforts to deliver accessible and quality education.
Heads of schools have been directed to immediately begin implementation, signaling a swift return to what many see as a vital institution in Ghana’s education ecosystem.
