GES Warns Public School Heads Against Charging Examination Fees

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a strong warning to headteachers of public schools, stating that no student should be charged examination fees under any circumstances.

Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, the Acting Director-General of the GES, made this clear in a public statement, emphasizing that the practice of collecting such fees from students in public basic schools is unauthorized and will not be tolerated.

“If we find any headmaster taking examination fees from public school students, we’ll sanction him or her,” Prof. Davis stated firmly. “Heads are not expected to take examination fees from public school students. We’ll sanction any head caught doing so.”

To reinforce the directive, Prof. Davis has instructed his team to formally communicate this policy to all school heads across the country. He noted that letters will be dispatched to ensure there is no ambiguity regarding the position of the GES on the matter.

“This is not a suggestion—it is a clear directive,” he said. “We want to relieve the burden on parents, and any attempt by school heads to impose unauthorized fees will be met with disciplinary action.”

The GES reiterates its commitment to ensuring free basic education for all Ghanaian children, in line with the government’s policy, and urges parents to report any school attempting to collect such fees.