Kenneth Agbomadze
The Parents’ Association (PA) formerly Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of Fijai Senior High School has jumped to the defense of the interdicted Headmaster of the school, Kenneth Agbomadze.
The PA are claiming Mr Agbomadze is innocent of the allegations leveled against him by the Ghana Education Service (GES).
It would be recalled that the GES on April 10, 2023 issued a statement signed by the Head of its Public Relations Unit, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, accusing the headmaster of collecting illegal fees in the school and was subsequently interdicted to pave way for investigations into the allegation.
But the statement did not specify what those alleged illegal fees were.
However, the PA chanced on another letter addressed to the Headmaster from the Western Regional Director of Education, Felicia Agyeibea Okai, in which those fees were stated.
The said letter, dated April 17, 2023 categorically stated the alleged illegal fees as collection of intervention classes fees of GH¢100 per student for two semesters.
The rest were special support levy of GH¢150 per student for two semesters, and collection of PA dues of GH¢40 per student for two semesters.
Meanwhile, according to the association, the decision to collect the fees was taken at a PA executives’ meeting held on January 25, 2023.
A statement issued and signed by the PA chairman, Rev. Fr. Gabriel Sampson, noted that the resolution to pay those monies was a collective decision hinged on the parents’ love for their children.
The statement explained that the intervention fee was intended to further motivate the SHS three teachers to work harder than usual to help the students come out with good results.
“The Special Support Levy covers hiring a security man and a labourer each to add to the one labourer and one security man in a big school such as Fijai SHS”.
“It was also to support additional persons needed in the school’s kitchen, purchase of first aid drugs for the infirmary among others,” it said.
It added that the Regional Directorate of Education should have contacted the executives of the PA when the issue got to their attention before interdicting the Headmaster.
“We are solidly behind the Headmaster because he has not forced any dues or fees on us the parents”, the statement indicated.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi