The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has called on headteachers nationwide to refrain from imposing unauthorized fees on students. Ashanti Regional Chairman of CHASS, Zakaria Suleman Yeboah, has urged headteachers to strictly adhere to the directives of the Ghana Education Service to avoid facing disciplinary actions.
This appeal follows the suspension of 11 headteachers who were allegedly found charging fees not approved by the Ghana Education Service. Speaking in an interview, Mr. Yeboah emphasized the need for compliance, stating, “We have advised them, we are still advising them to stick to the rules of the game. We have informed them that henceforth all items that students are supposed to buy they should stop it. And then those who are not doing it too, they have to keep their faith in the rules.”
He added, “And I must say that in the Ashanti Region, we have almost 151 senior high schools, so if seven out of the 151 have been found culpable, I think that the rest are doing the right thing. And even those who are found culpable, we are still not sure whether they committed the crime or not. So I will plead with my members in the Ashanti Region and across the country to desist from charging any unauthorized fees.”
Similarly, Angel Carbonu, President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), has issued a stern warning to headteachers nationwide to comply with the government’s policy prohibiting the sale of items to students in schools.
In an interview on December 9, Mr. Carbonu emphasized, “If GES under the control of the Ministry of Education is giving out a policy indicating that no school should sell any item to students either within the school premises or outside the school premises, they should just comply. No officer of the Ghana Education Service should make him or herself a salesman or a saleswoman to sell any item to parents or students.”
He recognized the possible justification for selling items to benefit students but stressed the need to follow Ghana Education Service (GES) directives.
Emphasizing compliance with employer instructions, he advised adherence to the rule, citing that any violation would result in consequences visible to the employer, potentially prompting a review or continuation of the policy.
