Angry residents lock out headteacher over unapproved ‘killer’ fees

A group calling itself ‘The Concerned Youth of Iron City’ in the Awutu Senya East municipality of the Central Region on Tuesday, 10 September 2019 stormed the premises of Iron City Basic School and locked out the headteacher over “daylight robbery” school fees.

The angry residents claim the headmistress is charging unapproved fees contrary to a directive issued by the Ghana Education Service, thus, their class action.

Mrs Comfort Hehemeku, according to the residents, charges GHS 370 as admission fee from every pupil.

Of that amount, GHS 20 is desk fee and GHS 12 is examination fee for primary school pupils while junior high school pupils pay GHS 16 as examination and marking fee.

The angry residents also claimed the headmistress charges GHS1.70 as compulsory fee for extra classes.

According to them, she does not issue receipts for any of those fees.

The group’s leader, Mr Isaac Ato-Aweh, said they took the decision based on the intransigence of the headmistress despite several complaints from parents.

Class91.3FM’s Central regional correspondent, Simon Saka, reported that the group threated to keep the facility under lock until the Ghana Education Service (GES) dismissed the headmistress.

The police, however, intervened upon a complaint filed by the headmistress which led to the arrest of some of the residents.