President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has issued a stern warning to headteachers nationwide, urging them to adhere to the government's policy prohibiting the sale of items to students within school premises.

This caution follows recent actions taken by the Ghana Education Service (GES), where the headteachers of O’Reilly Senior High School and Ghana Senior High School were interdicted for alleged unauthorized activities.

The interdiction letters, dated December 6th and 7th, 2023, respectively, were issued by the Regional Education Offices of Greater Accra and Eastern Regions.

Nadia Lartechoe Annan of O’Reilly SHS and Patience Naki Mensah of Ghana Senior High School were suspended for unauthorized activities, including the collection of admission fees and the sale of ceremonial cloth, tracksuits, and other items to incoming Form One students.

Subsequently, on December 8, the GES interdicted two more headteachers, Mr. Afi Yaw Stephen of Berekum Senior High School and Mr. Joseph Jilinjeh Abudu of Odomaseman Senior High School, both for selling unauthorized items to new students.

In reaction to this, Mr Carbonu said, "Let me caution my colleagues and my senior colleagues 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, no officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES) should make him or herself a salesman or a saleswoman to sell any item to parents or students.”

Angel Carbonu further emphasized that, although there might be valid reasons behind selling items, disregarding directives from the Ghana Education Service (GES) poses significant risks.

“Sometimes the reason these items are supposed to be sold is for very good reasons, mostly in the interest of the students themselves, but if the owner of the job, your employer has directed you not to sell why do you put yourself in harm’s way?

“You will just have to abide by that rule so that the consequences of that rule will be evident to the employer for the employer to rather amend its policy or maintain the policy.”