Ghana GES Warns SHS Unauthorised Charges: Sanctions for Compulsory Purchases

• The Ghana Education Service (GES) has ordered Senior High School (SHS) and Senior High Technical School (SHTS) heads to stop imposing unauthorised charges.
• The directive, issued on Friday, September 18, follows reports of schools compelling parents to buy items like trunks, uniforms, and cutlasses directly from them.
• These practices are deemed contrary to approved student admission guidelines and will lead to severe administrative sanctions for non-compliant school heads.
• Regional Directors are instructed to ensure communication and strict compliance with the directive across all schools in their regions.
• The GES aims to curb unauthorised charges and compulsory purchases during the student admission process.

Any head of school found to be imposing unapproved charges or coercing parents and guardians into purchasing items through the school will face severe administrative sanctions.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a stern directive to leaders of Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTSs), demanding an immediate halt to the imposition of unapproved fees on parents and guardians. This significant intervention, detailed in a press release dated Friday, September 18, comes in response to numerous reports indicating that some school administrators have been compelling families to acquire specific items directly from their respective institutions.

Among the items cited in these reports are essential school supplies such as trunks, chop boxes, uniforms, and even cutlasses. These compulsory purchases, according to the GES, directly contravene the established guidelines that govern student admissions and general school requirements. The directive underscores the GES's commitment to ensuring that admission processes remain fair and transparent, free from financial burdens not officially sanctioned. This development was reported on September 19, 2026, at 11:30 am, based on information from Emmanuel Tetteh.

The Ghana Education Service has unequivocally stated that such practices, which include introducing charges or mandating purchases without official authorization, are in direct conflict with the approved operational guidelines for schools. Consequently, all school heads have been instructed to rigorously adhere to these established regulations. The Service has issued a clear warning: any head of school found to be imposing unapproved charges or coercing parents and guardians into purchasing items through the school will face severe administrative sanctions.

These punitive measures will be applied strictly in accordance with existing GES regulations, highlighting the serious nature of non-compliance. The directive explicitly places the onus on school authorities to guarantee that parents are not subjected to any compulsory payments or purchases beyond those officially approved. Furthermore, the GES has tasked its Regional Directors with the critical responsibility of disseminating this instruction to all SHS and SHTS heads within their jurisdictions. These directors are also expected to ensure stringent adherence to the directive, as the GES aims to eliminate unauthorised charges and mandatory purchases during the student admission period.

This decisive action by the Ghana Education Service serves as a critical reminder for all educational institutions in the country to meticulously review their fee structures and admission requirements. Lawyers advising schools should immediately assess client practices to ensure strict compliance with this GES directive, thereby mitigating potential exposure to administrative penalties. The emphasis on adhering to approved SHS admission guidelines Ghana provides a clear framework for institutional accountability.

Conversely, this directive also empowers legal counsel representing parents. It establishes a solid foundation for challenging any compulsory payments or purchases that are not officially sanctioned by the GES, ensuring that families are not exploited during the critical admission phase. The overarching objective of the GES in curbing these unauthorised charges and compulsory purchases during student admissions reinforces the importance of transparency and fairness across the entire senior high school system.

Lawyers advising educational institutions in Ghana should immediately review client fee structures and admission requirements to ensure strict compliance with the GES directive, mitigating exposure to administrative sanctions. This also provides a clear basis for legal counsel representing parents to challenge any compulsory payments or purchases not officially approved by the GES.

Source: Original reporting via Emmanuel Tetteh.