Some parents and guardians of first-year students admitted to Ola Girls SHS have expressed shock and dismay at the exorbitant fees they are required to pay before their wards are enrolled.

According to information obtained by The Independent Ghana from reliable sources, the management of the school is charging over GHC2,210 for 10 items, including uniform, anniversary cloth, PTA levy, extra classes, feeding support, anniversary levy, school hymnal, house jersey, house bedsheet, and packing fee.

A guardian who spoke to The Independent Ghana confirmed that he had paid for these items before his ward was enrolled, and provided receipts issued by the school, to corroborate his claim.

Girls receipt

Girls receipt

Girls receipt

Girls receipt

Girls receipt

The fees being charged by Ola Girls SHS have sparked outrage on social media, as many users have questioned the relevance and legality of some of the items, especially the anniversary levy and the packing fee.

Others have also accused the headteacher of the school of exploiting the parents and guardians to generate more revenue for the school, as the government has not been able to meet all the demands of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

The Free SHS policy, which was introduced by the government in 2017, is meant to allow students in secondary cycle institutions to access free education, as well as some items such as textbooks, uniforms, and meals.

However, some parents and guardians have complained that they are still paying for some items that are supposed to be provided by the government, or are being forced to buy items that are not approved by the education authorities.

This information comes at a time when the Ghana Education Service (GES) has interdicted 11 headteachers of various SHSs across the country for imposing unapproved fees or selling unauthorized items to first-year students during the enrolment process.

Seven of the affected headteachers are from the Ashanti Region, two from the Greater Accra Region, and two from the Eastern Region.

The GES has announced that it has initiated investigations into the actions of the implicated headteachers, and has warned other headteachers to adhere to the government's policy prohibiting the sale of items to students within school premises.

The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has also issued a stern warning to headteachers nationwide, urging them to respect the Free SHS policy and refrain from charging parents and guardians for items that are not approved by the GES.