The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed heads of schools who collected unauthorized fees from students and their parents or guardians during the admission process to refund the monies, warning that anyone found engaging in the practice risks disciplinary action.
Speaking at a press conference on September 29, Prof. Davis cautioned school heads and teachers against imposing illegal charges, including admission fees, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) dues and other unauthorised levies, stressing that such practices undermine the principles of the policy.
Prof. Davis said the Service had received reports of school authorities collecting money from parents and guardians during the admission process, a development he described as worrying.
He directed heads of schools who had collected such payments to return the monies to the affected parents and guardians, making clear that unauthorised charges would not be tolerated under the Free SHS arrangement.
The GES Director-General’s warning also extends to teachers who demand or collect payments that have not been authorised. He cautioned both categories of education personnel to discontinue the practice or face disciplinary action.
The Service’s position signals a renewed emphasis on compliance with the rules governing admissions, particularly where payments demanded by school authorities could undermine the policy’s objective of making secondary education accessible without financial barriers.
Free SHS Policy Must Remain Accessible
Explaining the basis for the directive, Prof. Davis said the collection of unauthorised fees from parents during admissions was inconsistent with the principles underpinning the Free SHS policy.
“The collection of unauthorised fees and charges from parents in connection with admission is inconsistent with the principles underpinning the Free SHS policy,”
Professor Ernest Kofi Davis
According to the Director-General, the policy was introduced to remove financial obstacles that could prevent children from accessing secondary education.
The imposition of additional charges during admissions, therefore, raises concerns about whether students and their families are receiving the intended benefits of the programme.
“Unauthorised Charges Undermine the Principles of Free SHS.”
Prof Ernest Kofi Davis
Free SHS was established to reduce the financial burden associated with senior secondary education and expand access for eligible students. The GES directive reinforces the expectation that school-level admission practices must remain consistent with that objective.
For parents and guardians, unauthorised payments can create additional costs at a time when they are completing the admission requirements for their children. Such demands may also place families under pressure to make payments they were not expecting to incur.
The Service’s insistence on refunds is intended to address payments already collected, while its warning against further demands seeks to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
School Heads and Teachers Face Disciplinary Action
Beyond the instruction to refund the monies, the GES has warned that school heads and teachers who continue to demand or collect illegal fees will face disciplinary action.
Prof. Davis reiterated that the practice was unacceptable under Free SHS, placing school authorities on notice that the Service expects compliance with the rules governing the programme.
The directive covers both those who have already collected the payments and those who may be considering imposing similar charges. While affected school heads have been instructed to refund the monies, the threat of disciplinary measures is intended to deter further violations.
The GES has not, in the information provided at the press conference, identified the schools allegedly involved, disclosed the total amount collected or specified the number of parents affected.
It has also not outlined a detailed timeline for completing the refunds or provided particulars of the disciplinary procedures that could be initiated against individuals found culpable.
GES Reaffirms Commitment to Free Secondary Education
By directing refunds and warning against unauthorised charges, the GES is seeking to address concerns over payments allegedly demanded during admissions and reinforce the obligations of school administrators and teachers.
The directive also places parents and guardians at the centre of the issue, as they are the individuals expected to benefit from measures designed to ease the cost of educating their children.
The GES has consequently urged school heads and teachers to desist from imposing unauthorised charges, making compliance essential to avoiding disciplinary consequences.
As the Service moves to address the reported cases, the implementation of the directive, including the return of monies collected and adherence to admission rules, will be central to ensuring that the Free SHS policy continues to serve its intended purpose of widening access to senior secondary education.
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