ARE YOU TRULY GETTING VALUE FOR MONEY?

Parenting is not an easy job and I’m yet to meet anyone who thinks the contrary. As if juggling work, day care and arranging for a nanny to watch your children in your absence are not enough, there comes the hunt for the right school which would facilitate the educational needs of your children so they become properly educated and someday contribute meaningfully to society.

I was recently engaged in a conversation with a friend where amongst the host of things we talked about, the issue of education came up. Her daughter had gained admission into kindergarten and her admission letter stated she was to pay a non-refundable fee of acceptance which included ‘building development fee’ of one hundred cedis. Her school fees, books and school uniforms were to be purchased separately.

I was just flabbergasted but before I could get over that rude shock she told me this was even ‘cheaper’ because other schools charged far more than what she had to pay. Further inquiries from other friends with children in preschool revealed a similar trend and I could no longer hide my growing disgust. I must admit, some of us will need a lot of patience someday when we become parents.

Africa’s population is currently one billion which translates into a growing population needing education and health services. Unfortunately, these are not adequately provided for by our governments, hence the opportunity for individuals to invest in such areas. You only have to compare the success rate of private schools on one hand and public schools at he basic level to see why most parents would prefer the private route. Which of course means that providers see the opportunity to charge increasingly ridiculous prices. Parents are being held at a ransom as they are forced to pay exorbitant fees to access basic education for their children.
 Of course, it’s not a must for your child to attend a school that charges exorbitant fees but when your options are limited you have no choice but to cough up the money. Parents who protest about these fees which seem to do a pole vault every term or school year are “politely” told to withdraw their children if they feel they cannot afford.

For some of these schools where Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) exist, they are just a mere façade as parents are not really consulted on issues concerning their children and the school; they are only summoned to be informed about the increment of fees or any other levies. End of discussion. No room for negotiations or airing of views. Just pay up. Others prefer not to have such an association anyway; they send the bill so you pay up. At least they are being straight forward.

On the flip side, the school buildings of some of these private schools are nicely designed, classrooms are air conditioned, class sizes are reasonably small, have spacious playgrounds, computer labs, etc and an ‘assurance’ that your child will pass their examinations to gain admission into ‘first class’ second cycle schools and universities in and outside the country.

The only questions that run through my mind whenever I see so called ‘International’ and ‘Montessori ‘ schools springing in every corner are whether they are accredited with their activities monitored by any formal body. Are the children truly getting the right kind of education whereby the schools are adhering to the prescribed national syllabuses to justify the huge sums of money being paid? Are they being taught to be analytical and creative or simply taught to pass examinations? Also, do some of these schools have counselors? Certified nurses in their sick bays in case of health emergencies? If a child has an allergy does the teacher know what to do? Who foots the medical bill when a child gets injured on the school premises especially when it’s a clear case of the school being negligent; the parents or the school? I know of cases where children who have had nasty medical emergencies have had their parents called to come for them without the administration of very simple and basic first aid needs.

These and many other questions plague my mind when I hear of the exorbitant fees that are charged in these private schools. Yes, education is expensive and more so quality education. However there must be real value for the money you pay. So, are you getting your money’s worth?