Preamble

The mission of the Association is to collaborate with parents and teachers to make every child’s potential a reality. It seeks to empower parents and all stakeholders to champion the cause of all students by displaying commitment, diversity and accountability.

Aims and Objectives

• To create and Forster understanding and co-operation between Parents and Teachers in the education and training of their children at Accra Girls’ Senior High School.
• To help give vocational guidance to students.
• To place at the disposal of the Board of Governors of the School the advice, experience and general co-operation of the Association on matters concerned with or related to education.
• To promote co-operation with other societies, bodies or organizations having objectives similar to the objectives of the Association.
• To help maintain a high moral and social standard in the School.
• To raise funds to undertake important projects which cannot be readily financed by the Central Government

Composition of the Executive Committee

1. Chairman
2. Vice Chairman

• Treasurer

1. Secretary
2. Three elected Members
3. The Headmistress of the School as an ex-officio member

• One elected Member representing the Teaching Staff

THE CURRENT P.T.A EXECUTIVES

The current P.T.A. Executives inherited from their predecessors, Parents Association (P.A) which argued strongly that teachers were extorting monies from students. Through investigation, the Executives realized that the constitution has made provision for a teacher to be the secretary, and the Headmistress as ex-officio member who can attend meetings but does not have any voting power. The current Executives thought it wise to revive the P.T.A to enable the school Management to make inputs as to what they need most for the smooth running of the school.

The following members formed the current P.T.A Executives. Abraham Aquaye (Chairperson, P.T.A), Assistant Commissioner of Police; Godwin Ayikpa (Vice Chairman, P.T.A) Teacher, P.E Coordinator; Amouzou Piyabalo. (P.T.A. Secretary) French Teacher; Henry Dadjomo (Pink House 2 chair) Circuit Supervisor; Albert Asempa Aquah (Aryee House Chair) Pastor; Gloria Odakpa Okyei(Pink House 1 Chair) Headmistress; Hariet Osei (Gibson House Chair) Accountant (works with microfinances); Felix Broni (Buckman House) Works with VRA.

Later, when Henry Dadjomo and Felix Broni left, Ayikpa Godwin became the Buckman House Chairman and George Agbenowoshie became Pink 2 House Chairman.

ACTIVITIES

The first activity undertaken by the P.T.A Interim Executives was the first meeting we organized on 22^nd April, 2023 to familiarize ourselves with our duties and responsibilities as executive members, and also know the core mandate of the P.T.A. This was followed by a meeting with Core Management of Accra Girls’ Senior High School on 11^th May, 2023. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the P.T.A Executive Members to Management, and to also use the opportunity to know the basic needs of the school. The Headmistress talked of teachers’ absenteeism, lack of furniture, medication, servicing of wash rooms, the need to get a genitor and a nurse. It has been agreed on that P.T.A would get a genitor and help the school with medication, furniture and servicing of washrooms, fixing of barbed wires.

Another activity organized by P.T.A is the general P.T.A meeting we had with parents on Saturday, 20^th May,2023. During this meeting, the P.T.A Chairman made known to parents some major activities the P.T.A has embarked on, those that were completed and those which were still pending. He stressed on the need for parents to pay their dues timely to support the smooth running of the school. The management also used the opportunity to point out to parents the school’s achievements, and also educated them on the rules and regulations of the school.

On 15^th July, 2023 P.T.A Executives and Management met the form three students’ parents to discuss how to assist students to prepare well for their WASSCE exams. After thorough deliberations, parents accepted that they would pay 300 cedis to motivate teachers who would engage the students on Saturdays for extra classes.

The P.T.A Executives have on each visiting, mounted tables at the main entrance of the school to collect dues from parents.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The P.T.A Executives, with its dedicated members, have been able to achieve the following:

• Employed a genitor to ensure the neatness of the new constructed washroom.
• Facilitated the collection and disbursement of funds from parents to help the Home Economics Department run the WASSCE practical exams.
• Provided medication to support the sickbay.
• Sponsored the purchase of prizes awarded to all house mistresses during the speech and prize giving day.
• Sponsored students during food penury and also sponsored the fumigation of the school.
• Sponsored the purchase of the Bell for Science and Maths quiz competition.
• In Buckman House, the Chairman helped in fixing wire mesh and mosquito net for dormitory vents and 2 trap doors. Building of temporal open bathroom which is near completion as more terrazzo is needed to help finish the floor.
• In Pink House 2, the Chairman replaced 7 faulty door locks, he also replaced torn mosquito nets and constructed new metal dry lines. He fixed electrical cables and electrical bulbs.
• In Gibson House, general fumigation has been done. Repair of beds and making of new planks to replace spoilt ones disposed off by the House, and repairs of existing beds. This created 40 beds for students who were sleeping on the floor for five days. Fixing of metal gate for the security of the girls sleeping upstairs, fixing of drying lines.
• In Pink House1, 20 bulbs for illumination have been fixed, construction of extra drying lines, fixing of notice boards for flow of information

 CHALLENGES AND THE WAY FORWARD

1. Payment of dues posed a serious challenge to Executives. Most parents failed to pay. Some made part payment and refused to pay the rest. The day students did not pay their dues.

Going forward, it has been agreed on by the House that a P.T.A Secretariat has to be built without delay to facilitate the collection of the dues. The Chairman said the Headmistress has agreed to give P.T.A one Service Personnel to collect the dues on behalf of P.T.A.

Madam Harriet suggested that 20 receipt booklets should be printed and each class should be given 1 receipt booklet to ensure that both day students and boarders are captured. She said, this would also ensure accountability. It has been agreed that monies collected should be sent to the bank on daily basis. The Chairman advised that, from time to time monitoring should be done, not to push everything to the Service Personnel.

A Member suggested that on visiting days all Executives should make it a point to come and sit together to collect the dues.

2.Numerous fumigations to kill the bedbugs have not been effective.

Going forward, Madam Harriet suggested that the fumigation should be done quarterly. If it is done in December, by March it should be repeated again. Brother George also suggested that the House Chairmen should support in fund raising to do the fumigation. Madam Harriet suggested that plastic chop boxes should be used by students and also, they should be encouraged to iron their uniforms to kill the bedbugs.

3.Erratic and unplanned demands from Management put the P.T.A in difficult situations.

Going forward, it has been resolved that the needs of the school should always be factored into our action plan.

4. Various House projects and accountability was a challenge

The Financial Secretary lamented that though projects were carried out by the various House Chairmen, she had not received detailed report on how the monies allotted were utilized. She advised that every House Chair should do the needful to ensure accountability and transparency.

The House has resolved to give autonomy to all House Chairs to lobby and generate funds internally to assist the P.T.A run its activities smoothly.