Here are the 11 SHS heads interdicted by GES Over Unauthorized Fee Charges
11 shs heads interdicted
Some Regional Education Directorates of Education of the Ghana Education Service (GES) have directed that a total of eleven heads of second cycle institutions should step-aside for investigations into alleged charging of unauthorized monies from first year students under the free SHS policy.
Paramount and dominant on the list are seven headmasters and headmistresses from Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Ashanti Region and four others from the Eastern, Greater Accra among others.
The Ghana Education Service (GES), in statements dated December 8, 2023, announced the initiation of investigations into the conduct of these headteachers.
The individuals who will appear before an investigative panel to be set up by the GES to ascertain the veracity of the allegations are:
Mrs Selina Anane Afoakwa, Headmistress of Kumasi Girls SHS;
Mr Nataniel Asamoah, Headmaster of Asanteman SHS;
Mr Andrews Boateng, Headmaster of Kumasi Senior High Technical School; and
Mr Kwadwo Obeng-Appiah, Headmaster of Manso-Edubia SHS.
Others include:
Mr Daniel Boamah Duku, Headmaster of Agric Nzema Community SHS;
Ms Gladys Sarfowah, Headmistress of Nkawie Senior High Technical School; and
Mr Ampong Ahmed Omar, Headmaster of Collins SHS.
The GES stated that these headteachers face accusations of imposing various unapproved fees, including house dues, books, calculators, admission process fees, and charges for printing slips, files, and hymn books.
This development follows similar interdiction of Mr Afi Yaw Stephen, Headmaster of Berekum Senior High School,
Mr Joseph Jilinjeh Abudu, Headmaster of Odomaseman Senior High School,
The Headmistress the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASS), Patience Naki Mensah and
The headmistress of O’Reilly SHS, Nadia Lartechoe Annan.
The GES seeks in its bid to ensure compliance to strict adherence to its harmonized prospectus admonished heads to desist from charging any unauthorized fees.
It remains to be seen if these allegations labelled against the individuals will be proven or otherwise.
Meanwhile the leadership of Conference of Heads of Assisted Second-Cycle Schools (CHASS) has expressed its displeasure about the manner in which the issue was made public. According to CHASS, some of the Heads had the notice through social media before they received official communication.
According to CHASS, the seven headteachers in the Ashanti region in particular as of Monday morning had not received the letters asking them to step aside, as they only saw the letters circulating on social media.
Zakaria Suleman Yeboah, the Ashanti regional chairman of CHASS stated that the said headmasters were also not engaged on the matter before the release of the letters.
“None of them has received any letter to that effect, they heard the news on social media and they are seriously traumatised. As we speak, they are not themselves and I believe that it wasn’t the right thing to be done,” Mr Suleman Yeboah said.
Meanwhile the leadership of National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) are willing to provide the necessary support in any form to defend these individuals who belong to the Association.
A fact-finding committee has been put together by the GES to investigate the matter.
