GNAPS President, Professor Damasus Tuurusong
The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) is urging government to reconsider and reduce the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) registration fees for private school candidates, describing the latest increment as excessive and unfair.
Speaking at the launch of the 2026 GNAPS Week Celebration at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, GNAPS President, Professor Damasus Tuurusong, said private schools are struggling to cope with a 24.24 percent increase in BECE registration fees this year.
The event, held under the theme “Resetting Ghana’s 21st Century Education: Embracing the Creative Role of Private Schools,” brought together education stakeholders to reflect on reforms and the role of private institutions in national development.
Professor Tuurusong argued that the fee hike does not reflect Ghana’s current economic conditions, pointing to easing inflation and relative stability in fuel prices.
“This year’s increase of 24.24% in the BECE registration was unconscionable,” he said.
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He appealed for a downward review of the charges, stressing that rising fees place a heavy financial burden on private schools, parents and students.
“We plead for a reset of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) registration charges to reflect the current economic situation,” he added.
Although GNAPS recently campaigned against the increase without success, the association insists it has not abandoned the fight.
“We did not get the reduction we anticipated. However, we sent a strong signal that we must not be taken for granted… We have not surrendered the fight. Surrendering would spell doom for our school children,” he stated.
The GNAPS President also called on regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), MMDCEs and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to adopt more moderate and supportive approaches when dealing with schools.
He criticised what he described as heavy-handed enforcement actions by the EPA in some regions, where schools were fined heavily or shut down for operating without permits.
“Over the past few months, EPA in particular, has been rather ruthless in its approach to enforcing its mandate… The Agency brutally locked up some schools without affording the institutions sufficient time to settle their bills,” he said.
GNAPS is therefore calling for collaboration, understanding and broad-based support to protect private education and prevent further fee hikes that could affect thousands of students across the country.
NA/AM
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