Implement progressively free sec. education policy – GES

The President of the Conference of Heads of Secondary Schools (CHASS) has been directed to communicate the implementation of the progressively free secondary education policy to all its members for strict adherence to enable all day students throughout the country to enjoy the facility targeted at them.

A circular signed and issued by the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Jacob A.M. Kor, said: “This is to ensure increased equitable access to high quality second cycle education.”

The circular released the fee items the government has absorbed for all day public senior high school students in the country in line with its commitment to implement the progressively free secondary education policy as expressed in President John Mahama’s State of the Nation Address last year.

The circular was addressed to all regional directors of education, the president of CHASS and the GNAT Secretariat and copied to among others the Chairman of the GES Council, the Minister of Education and the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Pre-Tertiary.

The listed fee items are the examination fee, GH¢10; library fee, GH¢3; entertainment fee, GH¢2; SRC dues, GH¢2, and science development fee, GH¢3.

The rest are Science and Maths Quiz fees, GH¢5; sports fee, GH¢5; culture fee, GH¢3; ICT fee, GH¢3 and co-curricular fees, GH¢ 2.

The statement said all day students covered by other forms of scholarships such as the Northern Scholarship, Cocoa Board scholarship, Hardship Scholarship, CAMFED Scholarship, IPA Scholarship, the Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP) Scholarship, the VIA Scholarship and Government Scholarship were excluded from the scheme.

The statement, therefore, directed all regional, metropolitan/municipal and district directors of education as well as heads of senior high schools to ensure that only students who qualified were selected to benefit from the scheme, effective September 2015/2016 academic year.

“Please take note that, apart from the above commitment by the government, all other approved fee items payable by all senior high school students will also be borne by day students,” the statement said.

It emphasised that for the successful implementation of the programme, the government would commit the requisite funds to SHSs on a termly basis, starting from the first term of the 2015/2016 academic year.

The statement added that the modalities for the payment would be sent to the schools at a later date.

“Management of the GES, by this circular, directs that regional directors of education inform all metropolitan, municipal and district directors of education to ensure strict compliance of the content of this circular in all senior high schools,” it added.