Head teachers forced to refund excess BECE fees

Mr Godwin Addo, the Kwaebibirem District Director of Education, has directed all head-teachers in the area, who collected above the approved Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) fees, to refund the extra amount latest by Friday.

He said his outfit had sent officers to the various junior high schools to ensure that the refund was paid to the pupils.

Mr Addo gave the directive when he met JHS head-teachers in the district at Kade and warned to sanction those who would fail to comply with the directive.

He said parents were expected to pay GH¢15.00 while the government subsidized it with GH¢35.00 cedis per a pupil.

Mr Addo said it was worrying that some schools were collecting as much as GH¢140.00 per a candidate.

The heads tried to justify why they took that amount, saying they conducted as many as eight mock examinations before the BECE.

Mr Addo however directed them to seek approval for the collection of any additional fees.

Mr Emmanuel R. A. Osae, the District Chief Executive, who was at the meeting, cautioned the heads that it was criminal for them to collect illegal fees from their pupils.