Use sports and culture levy to fund end of term examinations - GES

The Ghana Education Service(GES) has instructed head teachers of public schools across the country to use the sports and culture component of the Capitation Grant(2018/2019 Base grant) paid to schools to fund the 2019 End of Year Examination.

In an official letter signed by the Deputy Director-General, Mr.Anthony Boateng and addressed to Regional and District Directors of Education under the caption,"Release of Capitation Grant", the GES directed District Directors of Education not to deduct the sports and culture fees out of this particular tranche, adding that, "this should be used to fund the end of term examinations".

The letter further cautioned all Regional and District Directors to ensure strict adherence to the directive.

Portions of the letter stated that "this is to inform all Regional Directors that the Capitation grant(2018/2019 Base grant) to schools has been released to the Bank account of various District Education Directorate on behalf of the schools.Regional Directors are to inform the District Directors of the development and to indicate to them not to deduct the sports and culture fees out of this particular tranche.This is to be used to fund the end of term examinations".

Sequel to this letter,the Ghana Education Service had warned head teachers of various public schools not to collect any penny from pupils or parents as fees to print examination questions.

Headteachers were given the liberty to write examination questions on the chalkboard.

Also, on the 2nd of July,2019, the Conference of Directors of Education (CODE) and the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools(COHBS) met with the Deputy Director General of Education in charge of Management and Services, Mr.Lawyer Anthony Boateng, and it was directed that:

Headteachers of Public Basic Schools should contact printers in their locality to print exam papers for them on credit while waiting for the Based Grant(Ghc5.00 per head) to be released to defray the indebtedness therefrom.

That, out of the Ghc5.00 per head, head teaches should use Ghc 3.00 per head for pupils in KG1 to Primary three (3), Ghc4.00 per head for pupils in Primary four(4) to primary six (6) and Ghc5.00 for pupils in Junior High Schools.

It was also indicated at the meeting that, head teachers who have already levied students for the purpose of conducting the End of Third Term Examination should refund the money to pupil or risk being sanctioned.

Teachers were also tasked to set the questions and mark the scripts and that, any head teacher who buys question papers from outside would be punished accordingly.

It can be recalled that last term, teachers were compelled to write the end of second term examination questions on chalkboards due to government's delay in releasing Capitation Grants from which the exam questions were to be printed.