By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi, Ghana | Reporting for Ghanaian News, Canada | May 6, 2026
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a nationwide warning to schools against collecting unauthorized fees from students and parents, insisting that no institution has been granted approval to impose levies under the Free SHS programme.
In a public statement released on May 6, 2026, the Service clarified that reports suggesting approval for additional charges, including feeding fees, are false and misleading.
GES stated:
“not authorised or sanctioned any school to charge fees, under any name or in any form, from students or parents.”
The directive follows growing public concerns over allegations that some schools have begun imposing unofficial charges despite the government’s Free Senior High School policy.
According to GES, any school demanding money from students without approval is acting unlawfully.
The statement stressed:
“Any school found to be charging money under the guise of feeding fees, as alleged, is acting unlawfully and without the approval of Management.”
Authorities reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining and improving the Free SHS policy, describing it as a major national educational intervention aimed at removing financial barriers to secondary education.
GES also warned that attempts to undermine the programme through misinformation or unauthorized charges would be treated seriously.
Parents and students were encouraged to report any such incidents directly to the Ghana Education Service for investigation and disciplinary action.
COMMENTARY | BOAKYE STEPHEN
Education policy becomes dangerous when there is confusion between law and practice.
If education is declared free but hidden costs continue emerging, public confidence begins to weaken.
Parents already face enormous economic pressure. So unauthorized fees, even if small, can quietly become barriers for vulnerable families.
The challenge here is not only enforcement. It is consistency.
A policy must function the same way in both announcement and reality.
Because once citizens feel uncertain about what is officially free, exploitation finds room to grow.
