SHS heads sacked for overcharging fees

Some Senior High School heads have been dismissed for overcharging school fees.

Deputy Minister in charge of Tertiary Education Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed to MORNING STARR HOST Kafui Dey on STARR 103.5FM on Monday that apart from the dismissals, some other heads of Senior High Schools have sanctioned in various forms for the same offence.

According to Ablakwa, the Ministry is strictly scrutinising the fees charged by SHS heads to ensure they all keep to the set standards and limits as the government prepares to expand the progressively free SHS education policy.

“We’ve had to sanction some heads, even dismissed some who flouted it because the lack of access is not only about lack of schools or inadequate infrastructure but fees can also prevent a child from going to school,” the North Tongu MP emphasised.

“We have been standardising fees since last year so we are very strict on that,” he noted.

He said: “As more resources are made available, we will expand to all 750, 000 students at the second cycle level, but in the meantime remember that we have standardised the fees because we are not saying that because we are going to make it free, ‘let’s allow heads of institutions to charge as much as they want to for the last time.’ No.”