By The newly appointed leadership of the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA) has started a familiarization tour. They are engaging stakeholders in selected regions. Their goal is to deepen collaboration with key stakeholders in Ghana’s private education sector.
Led by the Inspector General of Schools (IGS), Prof. Salifu Tahiru Azeko, PhD, the tour took place in the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, and Northern Regions respectively.
The purpose of the tour was to introduce the new management of NaSIA. It aimed to strengthen relationships with private school associations. The tour also reiterated NaSIA’s commitment to improving education standards across the country.
The engagements brought together representatives from key private pre-tertiary educational bodies. These included the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS).
The Conference of Heads of Private Second-Cycle Schools (CHOPSS) was also represented. Additionally, the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) participated. The interactions provided a platform to share ideas, discuss sector challenges, and explore opportunities for enhanced collaboration.
During the engagements, Prof. Azeko, Salifu Tahiru emphasized the importance of private schools in Ghana’s education landscape. He called for strengthened partnerships to ensure compliance with established standards. These partnerships should meet regulatory requirements.
He reiterated NaSIA’s dedication to supporting private institutions in achieving excellence through regular school inspections and capacity development initiatives.
Regional Directors of NaSIA in the respective regions delivered a presentation outlining the Authority’s mandate and core functions. The presentations served to realign and reaffirm NaSIA’s commitment to fulfilling its objects. These objects aim to develop the highest quality standards. They publish, promote, and enforce guidelines for quality education. This applies to both public and private pre-tertiary schools.
During the tour, private school stakeholders shared key concerns affecting their operations. Among the major issues raised is the unfair placement of learners into senior high schools under the Free SHS policy.
According to these stakeholders, the current system prioritizes learners from public schools for placement into category A senior high schools. This measure has negatively impacted private school operations over the years. Additional concerns included the high cost of regulatory fees. They also mentioned limited access to training and capacity-building opportunities compared to the public schools.
In response, NaSIA’s leadership acknowledged these challenges and reaffirmed its commitment to continuous engagement to mitigate the challenges. The Authority also pledged to advocate for policy reforms. It will liaise with appropriate agencies. This cooperation aims to provide targeted support to help private schools meet regulatory standards.
The associations welcomed NaSIA’s responsiveness and proposed the institutionalization of regular stakeholder forums to foster continuous engagement and partnership.
NaSIA reaffirmed its dedication to listening to stakeholders. It is incorporating their feedback into future policies. These interventions aim at enhancing educational quality across the country.
