Private School Fees Reflect Market Reality, Not Exploitation – Kofi Asare
The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, says the fees charged by private schools are a fair reflection of economic realities and not an attempt to take advantage of parents.
His comments come amid rising complaints from some parents about the cost of private education, with many questioning whether the charges are reasonable.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Mr. Asare stressed that comparing private school fees with public school costs is misleading because of the government’s low per-student funding. Public schools currently receive a GH¢15.00 capitation grant for the entire academic year, in addition to a daily food allocation of GH¢2.00 per child. Private schools, he noted, operate with much higher expenditure per pupil.
“Private schools are not generally cheating parents. Their prices match market realities. A single proper meal, like a rice dish, can cost about GH¢15.00. If you are paying only GH¢2.00, you will not get the same quality of food in a public school,” he said.
He also questioned the viability of the school feeding programme, pointing out that even after recent increases from GH¢1.20 to GH¢1.50 and then to GH¢2.00 in the 2025 mid-year budget the allocation is still far from enough to provide balanced meals.
“Even in rural areas, you cannot buy eggs for GH¢2.00, so how can you serve children meals with both carbohydrates and protein at that price?” he asked.
Mr. Asare urged government to revisit the original concept of the school feeding initiative, which aimed to encourage communities to provide food from local farms with government support. He argued that the focus has shifted to a procurement-led system, leaving the current GH¢2.00 allocation to cover the entire meal cost instead.
