Private Schools Support COVID-19 With Ghc50,000

The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has donated Ghc50,000 to the COVID-19 Trust Fund.

The Association made the donation on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at the Information Ministry’s press briefing.

The Association said the donation is in recognition and appreciation of the government’s efforts in the fight against the pandemic.

“The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) hereby presents its widow's contribution to the COVID-19 Fund in recognition and appreciation of the Government's commendable efforts geared towards combating this pandemic. Admittedly, this amount is a drop in the vast ocean of resources that the Government needs to fight this virus.”

The Association said it could have done better if all was well with its members.

“And if all was well with private schools, we could have done a lot better than donate this paltry amount. But all is not well with private schools,” it added.

Association’s request to government

However, the Association opened up about the difficulties its members were facing due to the closure of schools by the government following the COVID-19 outbreak.

“The advent of COVID-19 in Ghana, with the attendant closure of schools that followed on its heels has dealt a heavy blow to private schools across the country. Private school education is at a crossroads. Should this pandemic persist a few more months, many of our schools will collapse. Today, many private school proprietors have sleepless nights thanks to the clamour of our unpaid staff for their salaries which blends with threats of prosecution from banks, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to which school owners are indebted,” the association said in a statement.

It also called on the government to extend portions of the interest-free loans to the private schools to help them keep their institution running and also be able to pay their staff.

“Government must consider extending some interest-free loans to private schools to pay their staff and keep the institutions running until schools reopen. The loans could be repaid over a period of time when schools reopen. We also welcome the government's intervention to persuade SSNIT, GRA and banks to which private schools are indebted, to postpone repayment of these statutory obligations and debts until our businesses reopen. We believe this is not too much to ask of Government.”

---citinewsroom