GES Warns Against Charging Unauthorized PTA Fees for New Students

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a strong directive to all public basic and secondary schools to stop demanding Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) fees from new students, particularly when these levies have not been properly approved. 

Key Points of GES Statement

• GES confirmed it has received numerous reports that some schools are collecting various levies from students and parents without proper authorisation.  
• It clarified that for basic schools, PTA and development levies must be approved by the District Education Oversight Committee (DEOC) via the District Director. In second-cycle (senior high) schools, approval must come from the Regional Director of Education.  
• Even when levies are approved, payment is strictly voluntary. The statement emphasised: “No student should be denied any service, right or benefit for failure to pay.”  
• School heads, teachers and GES staff have been forbidden from directly collecting PTA dues. Instead, fundraising must be handled by duly elected PTA executives alone.  

Why the Focus on “New Students”?

The directive comes amid reports that during the admissions and transition period, some schools are charging new students and their parents PTA levies of GHS 300–600 and more.  These fees are reportedly being collected as part of “admission packages” or as mandatory PTA fees—practices that conflict with GES policy.

What This Means for Parents and Students

• Parents of new students should refuse to pay any PTA or development levy that lacks documented approval from the relevant education oversight body.
• Schools must provide written documentation proving approval before requesting PTA fees.
• If a school denies a student access or service because the fee is not paid, the GES has stated that such action is against policy and may result in sanctions against the school.
• Parents and students are encouraged to report unauthorised levies to their District or Regional Education Directorate or via the GES’s official complaint channels.

GES Enforcement Measures

GES has directed all Regional and District Directors to monitor compliance and report breaches. Immediate disciplinary action has been promised for heads of institutions found collecting levies illegally. 

Bottom Line

The GES’s statement makes clear: charging new students mandatory PTA fees without proper approval is unauthorised and potentially illegal within the public education system. Parents and guardians should be vigilant and ensure any requested fees are legitimate, voluntary and properly authorised.