Meet Our Partners: The Prince & Princess Academy

Our partners, the Prince and Princess Academy is an educational project in Tamale, Ghana. Their aim is to provide education that is affordable to lower-class constituents, who may otherwise be unable to send their children to school.

Currently, they are working on their vision to build some more classrooms and current contributions made directly to the project are being used to pay for the building materials.

The Prince and Princess Academy is a local Ghanaian charity that has a strong commitment to supporting the development of Ghana, through the education of its future leaders.

The constitution of the Republic of Ghana demands the Government to provide “Free Compulsory Basic Education (FCUBE)”. But in fact, little has been done by successive Governments to achieve this constitutional mandate. Why is it, then, that most young people in Northern Ghana, especially in Tamale, do not have access to education?

The setting up of the Prince and Princess Academy, as a low few school, in the deprived community of Kunyavilla, seeks to provide access to affordable education.

Research carried out by civil society groups found that the exorbitant fees charged by schools in the Metropolis is the main reason preventing parents from sending their children to school. The construction of this six classroom school will, therefore, bridge this gap and provide quality education at a low cost.
You can read more about our partners at https://princeandprincessacadmy.com/ and also find out how to support them directly.

Why a ‘low-fee school’ rather than a ‘free of charge school’? Why is UppFutures supporting an ltd company and not a fellow charity?

There are many reasons as to why UppFutures has decided to partner with an ltd company rather than a charity but in summary, it the most viable way of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the project.

Firstly, the payment of school fees will create a strong incentive for parents to bring their children to school consistently, to help with homework after hours and, overall, to try and get the most resources out of their school. By putting a price on education (however small), we also acknowledge the value which it has. The key is to make sure that the fees are affordable for everyone, ensuring that education is accessible.

Secondly, the fact that the Prince and Princess Academy is a limited company, rather than a charity, protects and ensures the longevity of the project by providing a framework of self-finance. This ensures that the project is not reliable on the generosity of donors, which can, at times, be volatile and circumstantial, and has its own financial structure to stand on.

When defining a charity, we think of an organisation that does not work for profit, but to provide a service that is needed at no cost. The Prince and Princess Academy may not be a ‘free of fees’ school, in order to ensure sustainability, but it is not an organization driven by profit. In this sense, UppFutures chose to support the Prince and Princess Academy because it is important for us to normalize ethical businesses which look to serve communities at a local level. So, to the eyes of the law, the Prince and Princess Academy is a limited company, but in practice, every decision which is made within is looking out solely for the best interest of the children.

Thirdly, if the Prince and Princess Academy was a free fees school, it would act, in practice, as government-provided education. This could be problematic as it would give legitimacy to the government’s inadequacy and inaction in education provision. In other words, if the Prince and Princess Academy were a free service, it would excuse the inactions of the government and the lack of appropriate provision.

What is the role that UppFutures plays in the Prince and Princess Academy project?

UppFutures provides free uniforms for children attending the Prince and Princess Academy. This way, we remove another barrier that may stand between a child and their education. By providing school uniforms free, we reduce the impact of the cost on parents sending their children to school.

At UppFutures, we care about education and its access for everyone. We also care about sustainable change and supporting the local economy. This is why we partner with trustworthy local organisations, such as the Prince and Princess Academy, to ensure that change is led by the community itself.

If you want to learn more about the Prince and Princess Academy, their mission, their values and how to support them head to their website at https://princeandprincessacadmy.com/ Here, you can also follow up with the most recent updates on the school and its projects.