The Ghana Education Service (GES) has interdicted two additional headteachers for allegedly selling unauthorized items to Form One students.
Mr. Afi Yaw Stephen, Headmaster of Berekum Senior High School, and Mr. Joseph Jilinjeh Abudu, Headmaster of Odomaseman Senior High School, were both directed to step aside in separate letters by the GES for selling unauthorized items to new students.
Mr. Afi was accused of charging unauthorized fees, including “Borla fees,” “motivation fees,” and “lunch bag” charges. Mr Jilinjeh Abudu was also accused of charging students GHC45 for hymn books, SRC fees, brown khaki, and other items.
This brings the total number of headteachers interdicted by the GES for charging unapproved fees to four.
The other affected individuals are Patience Naki Mensah, Headmistress of Ghana Senior High School, Koforidua, and Nadia Lartechoe Annan, Headmistress of O’Reilly Senior High School.
Meanwhile, Angel Carbonu, President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), has issued a strong warning to headteachers nationwide to comply with the government’s policy banning the sale of any items to students in schools.
In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Mr Carbonu emphasized: “Let me caution my colleagues and my senior colleagues if GES under the control of the Ministry of Education is giving out a policy indicating that no school should sell any item to students either within the school premises or outside the school premises, no officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES) should make him or herself a salesman or a saleswoman to sell any item to parents or students.”
He further noted that while the rationale behind selling items might be valid, disregarding GES directives carries significant risk.
“Sometimes the reason these items are supposed to be sold is for very good reasons, mostly in the interest of the students themselves, but if the owner of the job, your employer has directed you not to sell why do you put yourself in harm’s way?
“You will just have to abide by that rule so that the consequences of that rule will be evident to the employer for the employer to rather amend its policy or maintain the policy.”
