Private schools criticise gov’t for excluding them from 2027 budget

The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has accused the government of excluding private schools from key education funding in the 2027 Budget, describing the allocations as unfair to pupils in non-state institutions. The Association says despite private schools educating more than 40 per cent of Ghana’s children and employing hundreds of thousands of people, the budget makes no provision for direct support to the sector.

In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Kennedy Donkor, GNAPS expressed disappointment with the GH¢48 billion allocated to the Ministry of Education and other education-related interventions, arguing that private school pupils have been left out of the benefits. The 2027 Budget, presented to Parliament by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson on Thursday, November 12, includes GH¢11.2 billion for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), GH¢1.37 billion to end the double-track system and GH¢537 million for the No Fees Stress initiative.

Press Release – GNAPS Decries Total Discrimination Against Private Schools In Ghana.docxDownload Other allocations include GH¢292 million for free sanitary pads, GH¢227 million for teacher trainee allowances, GH¢166 million for the Capitation Grant, GH¢133 million for teaching and learning interventions, GH¢50 million for special schools and GH¢169 million to pay Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) fees.

However, GNAPS argues that none of these allocations provides direct support for private schools, including assistance with BECE registration fees. The Association is particularly concerned that while government is paying BECE fees for candidates in public schools, parents of private school candidates are expected to pay the full amount, with registration fees reportedly increased again this year.

“Are the children in private schools not citizens of Ghana? Do they not carry Ghanaian birth certificates? Do they not sing the same National Anthem? Do they not sit the same BECE, in the same halls, under the same WAEC?” the statement questioned. GNAPS maintains that private schools play a significant role in expanding access to education, particularly in communities where public schools are unavailable or overcrowded.

It says the sector also employs teachers, administrators and other support staff, while helping to reduce the government’s expenditure on classrooms, furniture and other educational infrastructure. The Association further rejects the perception that private education is exclusively for wealthy families, arguing that many institutions are low-fee community schools serving parents who make significant sacrifices to educate their children.

GNAPS raises concerns over unequal education support The Association says the exclusion of private schools from government interventions extends beyond BECE fees. It argues that while public schools benefit from the Capitation Grant, private schools receive no equivalent support, despite educating Ghanaian children. It has also questioned why private school girls are excluded from the free sanitary pads initiative and why private institutions do not benefit from GETFund infrastructure support.

Association calls for changes to 2027 Budget GNAPS is asking government to extend the GH¢169 million BECE fees allocation to all Ghanaian candidates, regardless of whether they attend public or private schools. It is also demanding a reversal of the latest increase in BECE registration fees for private school candidates. Other demands include extending the Capitation Grant, free sanitary pads and teaching and learning support to pupils in private schools.

The Association is further calling for the establishment of a formal Private Schools Desk and a funding framework within the Ministry of Education, with private school representation in national education planning. It has also urged government to introduce tax relief and ensure fairer regulation of private schools. GNAPS is appealing to Parliament’s Education Committee and Members of Parliament to amend the 2027 Budget to address what it considers unequal treatment of pupils based on the type of school they attend.

It has also called on the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Ghana Education Service to publish a breakdown of BECE registration fees and justify the latest increase for private school candidates. The Association insists that access to education-related support should not depend on whether a child attends a public or private school. “We are not asking for charity.

We are asking for justice. We are asking for equity. We are asking for what every Ghanaian child deserves,” the statement said.