The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed heads of second-cycle schools to refund all unauthorised SHS fees and levies collected from parents and guardians as a condition for enrolling newly admitted students.
The directive comes amid growing complaints that some senior high school (SHS) heads are demanding payments for items and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) levies before allowing fresh students to complete their enrolment.
GES Director-General, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, warned that the collection of unauthorised fees contradicts the principles underpinning the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy and would not be tolerated.
Also read: NPP ballot papers: Candidates demand answers over alleged secret printing
Speaking at a press briefing, Prof. Davis said any school head who had collected money from students or their parents without proper authorisation must refund it immediately.
He warned that school heads who allowed third parties to collect unauthorised payments within school premises would face severe disciplinary action in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Service.
“We will not allow the actions of a few individuals to undermine a policy that has expanded access to secondary education for thousands of Ghanaian children,” Prof. Davis emphasised.
The GES Director-General explained that the Free SHS policy was introduced to eliminate financial barriers to secondary education and ensure that no child was denied access to schooling because their parents or guardians could not afford certain fees.
“Any conduct by a school head that undermines this objective will not be tolerated. Let me be unequivocal: this worrying trend must stop,” he said.
According to Prof. Davis, the Service had received reports that some school heads were allegedly demanding and collecting various payments from parents and guardians in connection with the admission of newly placed students.
Management has consequently cautioned all affected school heads to immediately stop collecting unauthorised fees and levies, reminding them that such practices are contrary to the government’s Free SHS policy.
The GES has also encouraged parents and guardians who encounter demands for unauthorised payments to report them to the Service’s district, regional or national headquarters.
Touching on the academic calendar, Prof. Davis said Ghana’s education system had made progress towards restoring a more predictable and synchronised school calendar.
He noted that, for the first time in approximately six years, students across various levels of the education system had reported to school within September.
“This did not happen by accident; it was achieved through hard work,” he said.
According to the GES Director-General, the development provides parents, teachers and other education stakeholders with a more predictable academic schedule, allowing them to plan more effectively.
He commended teachers, school heads and other stakeholders for their contributions to the progress, stressing that the Service remained committed to maintaining stability in the academic calendar.
Prof. Davis said the GES would continue working to ensure that future academic years begin and proceed according to a predictable schedule that supports effective teaching and learning.
On the planned strike by pre-tertiary teacher unions, Prof. Davis said the GES aligned itself with the Ministry of Education’s appeal for the unions to reconsider their decision while efforts continued to address their concerns.
He said management was working to resolve outstanding issues affecting teachers and remained committed to improving conditions within the education sector.
The Director-General also highlighted efforts to process teacher promotions, noting that the GES had worked to mechanise promotions in the previous year.
“You can trust us to deliver this year as well,” he said.
The GES’s latest directive on unauthorised SHS fees comes as the Service seeks to protect the Free SHS policy, improve compliance among school heads and maintain a stable academic calendar.
The Service has reiterated that parents and guardians should report unauthorised fee demands through its established district, regional and national channels.