The policy of the government is that basic and secondary education should be free, and no parent should be compelled to pay any money for such services provided in public schools. However, information available to the Ghana Education News for the past month indicates that there are public schools in the Volta region that have been charging some fees for tuition and examination.
A particular school in the South Dayi District of the region are on record to be charging parents fees for examination and tuition to the tune of Ghs80.00 and this happens every term. Since the Ghana Education Service has not given an official directive for schools to charge fees, the ongoing activity in South Dayi District amounts to the collection of illegal fees.
Dzemeni EP primary and JHS school have been specifically mentioned to be engaged in the collection of illegal fees.
“Please there is something going on at Dzemeni EP primary and JHS school in South Dayi district in the Volta region. That’s every term they bill the children of some amount of money in the name of school fees and examination fees as am talking my son in JHS one is supposed to pay an amount of GHC 80.00, this happen every term so please you people should help us. I shall give you the break-down of the fees on Monday thanks”
The intel from the worried parent came after the Ghana Education News published the story “No End of 2nd Term Exam for public basic schools as GES remains silent”
The disregard for the GES directive instructing heads and teachers to desist from the collection of illegal fees such as exam fees, classes fees, and school fees among others is not being obeyed. The widespread nature of the disregard for the order may stem from several factors, including the lack of adequate and timely funding from the central government to schools to finance such activities.
However, we call on the Ghana Education Service to launch an investigation at the regional and district level on this peculiar case reported against the Dzemeni EP primary and JHS school in the South Dayi district in the Volta region.