The Africa Education Watch has asked the Ghana Education Service (GES) to suspend the planned implementation of policy draft until the NGO Bill is passed.

The AEW, which is made up of 165 civil society petitioners, said in a statement that the draft, scheduled to be implemented from February, weakens the ability of CSOs to demand accountability from GES.

Executive Director of AEW, Kofi Asare, said compelling CSOs to operate in education sectors contradicts their freedom of association right.

The GES noted in the policy draft that a non-governmental organisation (NGO) or CSO in the education sector must be a paid-up member of the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC); pay an NGO/CSO application fee to GES; and get their actitivities approved by GES.

Also, NGOs/CSOs must disclose their finances to GES, get their project proposals approved approved by GES before securing funding, and jointly implement their activities with GES.

The NGOs/CSOs noted that the policy draft of the GES gives them (GES) the authority to duplicate existing accountability and regulatory functions of the Department of Social Welfare and Registrar General’s Department.

‘The contradiction must not be encouraged or supported by any development partner’, the statement read.

The petitioners advised the GES to strengthen their district education offices’ so CSOs can continue working with the District Assemblies and the Department of Social Welfare to ensure harmonisation and synergy at the local level.

An 11-member committee was set up in 2019 to draft the Non-Profit Organisation Bill that will provide new regulations governing NGOs.

Source: Joy Online

Photo source: Joy Online