Volta Schools Cautioned Against Unapproved Fees

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Education Minister

Heads of senior high and technical schools in the Volta Region have been cautioned against charging students unapproved fees as such an act is considered illegal and criminal.

The Acting Volta Regional Director of Education, John Kodzo Teku, gave the warning in reaction to an earlier incident at Awudome Senior High School (AWUSCO), where school authorities were said to have charged GH¢150 for extra classes without approval from the Ghana Education Service (GES).

The director warned that any head that went against the directive of the GES and the government would face sanctions by the Service.

Background 

Parents of AWUSCO blew the cover over an amount of GH¢150 being each of their children for extra classes. Although some of the parents obliged and paid, others were worried as they could not afford it, especially when the Free SHS policy of the government had given them some respite as far as fee paying is concerned.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back was when some of the students refused to go to school because they did not have the money; they had been warned not to attend classes without the fee.

This raised concerns, particularly in the case of the first-year students who are enjoying the Free Senior High School policy.

The headmaster of the school, Emmanuel Amu, who has declined talking to the media, is yet to produce documentary approval or explanation of the decision.

No Extra Classes Fees 

Mr John Kodzo Teku has subsequently directed that all kinds of extra or ‘special classes fees’ had been cancelled. However, should there be any need to collect any form of fees, the authorities of the school must inform the directorate and justify it for approval.

He therefore urged municipal/district directors of education to ensure strict compliance of the directive as any misconduct on the part of any school head would be met with the appropriate sanctions.

Meanwhile, report by an Accra-based radio station has indicated that the Volta Regional Education Directorate had begun investigations into the AWUSCO incident and other similar cases across the region.

From Fred Duodu, Ho