The Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed heads of Senior High Schools (SHSs) to strictly comply with the stipulated fees for the 2018/19 academic year.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the total fees for the SHS and TVET Year Three boarding students for the 2018/19 academic year are GH¢1,606.60 and GH¢1,636.60 respectively.
“Any fees already paid by a student in excess of the approved fees for the first semester should be credited to the student’s account for the Second Semester,” it directed.
Termly bill
The Director-General of the GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwa, who gave the directives in an interview with the Daily Graphic, expressed concern that some heads of SHS were charging different levels of fees in public SHSs and TVET, especially for final year students.
He reminded the heads that they initially sent termly bills to students before the current semester system was announced.
“It ,therefore, became necessary for the fees to be adjusted to reflect the current semester system,” he explained.
He explained that all fee items for day students in SHSs Form Three had been absorbed by the government and, therefore, no day student should be made to pay any school fees.
Subtotal for first semester
Giving details, he said, the subtotal for the first semester for the final year was supposed to be GH¢741.50 and any amount paid in excess, should be credited to the student’s account for the Second Semester.
He said for the first semester, the boarding fee was GH¢5.20 per student per day for 105 days, totalling GH¢546.00, while other charges amounted to GH¢95.50 and the adjustment on termly fees to reflect the current semester system was GH¢100.
Second semester
For the second semester, Prof. Amankwa said all third year students would be expected to pay GH¢865.10 as fees for the semester.
Giving the breakdown, he said the boarding fee was GH¢5.20 per student per day for 120 days, totalling GH¢624 and boarding fee for additional 28 days amounted to GH¢145.60, while other charges amounted to GH¢95.50.
TVET students
For the first semester for TVET third year students, Prof. Amankwa stated that the boarding fee of GH¢546 made up of GH¢5.20 per student per day for 105 days.
Additionally, they were expected to pay GH¢95.50 as other charges and GH¢15 for technical training materials, as well as GH¢100 adjustment on termly fee to reflect the current semester system, bringing the total fees for the first semester to GH¢756.50.
For the second semester, Prof. Amankwa said the boarding fee would be GH¢624 made up of GH¢5.20 per student per day for 120 days.
He explained that the students would be expected to stay for an additional 28 days to prepare adequately for final exams and for that period, the students would be expected to pay GH¢145.60 each.
Compliance
The director-general explained that each student would be expected to pay GH¢15 for technical training materials and GH¢95.50 for other charges, totalling GH¢880.10 for the second semester.
“Therefore, all Third Year technical students are expected to pay a total of GH¢1,636.60 for the academic year.
“It is the expectation of management that all heads of schools will comply strictly with these fees and not charge any fee above the stipulated fees for the 2018/19 academic year,” he concluded.