Educationist Opoku Mensah has justified the previous government’s decision to dissolve Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) in secondary schools, citing the need to protect students from becoming victims when dues go unpaid. Speaking on TeknoKrat on Focus FM with host Khayrullah Issah Dobo, Mr. Mensah responded to former President John Mahama’s recent call on the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) to reintroduce PTAs in secondary schools.
According to him, while PTAs once served a purpose, they were not formally part of Ghana’s educational structure. “PTA is not something that is officially part of the school system.
It is a voluntary association by parents. Even the ‘T’ in PTA is silent because teachers do not contribute financially.
The original intent was for these meetings and their activities to occur outside school premises,” he explained. He noted that the previous government’s dissolution of PTAs was a strategic move to eliminate the pressure and harassment students faced when their parents failed to pay dues.
“We witnessed instances where learners were harassed for dues owed by parents. Students were being punished for something they weren’t party to.
The Free SHS policy was designed to remove financial barriers from education—not create new ones through unpaid PTA dues,” he said. Opoku Mensah emphasized that the decision to dissolve PTAs did not negate their contributions to school development, but challenged the financial structure they imposed.
“The only departure from what they used to do is in how financial commitments are made. There are official documents available for the Minister of Education and GNAT to review.
These explain how PTAs were formed and why they were dissolved,” he said. He also called on the current administration to prioritize inclusive dialogue and policy continuity, especially on critical matters such as education.
“If this government wants to revert to a system that privileges the rich and leaves out the poor, then it should come out clearly so we all know where we stand,” he cautioned. The discussion followed the show’s topic, “The Role and Importance of PTAs in Secondary Schools.”
Opoku Mensah concluded by urging the government to consult stakeholders widely before making changes that could affect access to education for vulnerable students.