The Ghana Education Service (GES) is taking a firm stand against unauthorised fees being charged to final-year students in Junior High Schools (JHS). Some Heads of Schools have reportedly been collecting money from students for school selection and end-of-year events, which is causing concern for many families.
In a statement issued on 9th June 2025, the GES emphasised that these practices are not only against the rules but also undermine the government’s efforts to support Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) and the Free SHS policy. These unauthorised charges risk adding unnecessary financial strain on parents and could also damage the public’s trust in the Free SHS programme, which aims to make education more accessible to all.
GES has urged regional directors to take immediate action, with an instruction to investigate any schools found to be levying such fees. Any headteacher involved will be required to refund the collected money and could face disciplinary action for their actions.
“We must ensure that our schools remain places of fairness and support for all students,” said Prince C. Agyemang-Duah, Director of Schools and Instructions Division at GES. “These actions are unacceptable and must be stopped to protect the integrity of our educational reforms.”
The GES has called on all school heads to be mindful of the regulations and to ensure their students and parents are not burdened by unnecessary fees. The regional directors have been tasked with keeping a close watch to prevent such incidents from happening again.
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