Free SHS: Parents charged GH¢700 for hostel accommodation in Cape Coast

Authorities of Cape Coast University Practice Senior High School (UPSS) in the Central Region are charging parents of first-year SHS students between GH¢700 and GH¢500 before providing them hostel facilities.

At the time of our visit, it was revealed that the school’s boarding house could only accommodate 20 girls and 80 boys, leaving lots parents, especially those who had travelled from far distances, to send their wards to hostel facilities.

In an interview with some of the parents who looked stranded, they explained that they chose the school because of its boarding facilities.

“…and they are now being told a different story of not enough rooms to accommodate first-years.

“Nobody is forcing the government to provide free SHS, if they think they can’t do it, they should allow us to pay for our children’s fees; we tired of all this stress,” some angry parents at the school premises told our correspondent.

Some of the parents revealed that aside from the huge hostel fees the school was charging, they were also taking GH¢10 for prospectors which is given out free in other schools like Adisadel, Mfantsipim etc.

To this end, the stranded parents appealed to the central government to change their wards’ schools to schools with boarding facilities since they do not have money to pay for the huge hostel facilities fees.