GES cautions SHSs over charging first-year SHS students PTA fees

In a social media post sighted by Pretertiary.com, the GES, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education (MoE), said any school reported to be charging illegal fees will face disciplinary actions.

“No money must be taken from any student. Any school-reported will be taken on,” the Ghana Education Service (GES) said in the social media post on November 21, 2025.

The Head of Public Relations at GES, Daniel Fenyi, in an interview with Kumasi-based radio station, also said the Ghana Education Service has not authorized any school to request or collect PTA fees from parents.

Speaking to Oyerepa 100.7 FM, the Ghana Education Service spokesperson said the illegal or unapproved fees charged by the schools are considered unauthorized and must be reported.

“The Ghana Education Service (GES) has not authorized any school to request or collect PTA fees from parents. Such actions are considered unauthorized and must be reported,” Daniel Fenyi stressed.

In line with the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Minister for Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has cautioned headteachers across the country against denying admission to students who have been duly placed in their schools or demanding unapproved fees from parents.

Speaking at the 32nd Annual Conference of Directors of Education held in Sunyani, in the Bono Region, the Minister expressed deep concern over reports that some school heads were frustrating the enrollment of first-year students and engaging in acts of extortion.

Mr. Haruna Iddrisu described such practices as unacceptable and detrimental to the government’s vision of providing equitable access to free and quality education for all Ghanaian children.

He emphasized that every student placed through the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) must be admitted without discrimination or additional financial demands beyond the officially approved fees.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES), following the restoration of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) in pre-tertiary schools, cautioned the Associations not to collect any PTA fees, dues, or levies from parents of students.

”Now we don’t expect that any PTA dues, any form of money, or any form of fee will be a hindrance to the learning and school activities of the students. Yes, PTA has been restored, but PTA dues have not necessarily been restored,” GES has cautioned.

A spokesperson for the Service, Daniel Fenyi, who gave the caution, said the Ghana Education Service is currently working on clear modalities to ensure that PTA operations remain in line with national rules and regulations.

“We want every learner to be in the classroom and learn without the hindrance of money, but the details of how the PTA should operate and approvals they will need before operating will soon be rolled out because we are still in contact with all the important stakeholders to ensure that we bring out modalities that are workable among all the parties,” he noted.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Ghana Education Service on July 17, 2025, said the move is aimed at improving collaboration between parents and schools and ultimately enhancing learning outcomes.

”We believe that the teachers and parents are two important stakeholders; we should communicate, we should dialogue for the welfare of the students, the challenges of the students, and the progress of the learners to be able to work together to get the desired outcome,” he said.