Since 2017, public senior high school in Ghana has been free under the Free SHS policy. “Free” covers the school’s fees. It does not cover everything a student needs, and the gap is what parents spend on.
What the government pays
For every student placed in a public SHS, the government pays what were previously the school’s fees:
- Tuition, and the admission, library, science centre, computer lab and utility fees that used to come with it
- Examination fees
- For boarders: accommodation and three meals a day
- For day students: one hot meal a school day
- Some textbooks, supplied through the school - though the prospectus still lists textbooks for parents to buy, so ask the school which it gives
It applies to students placed through the CSSPS in a public school. A private SHS sets its own fees.
— SHS categories and placement
What parents still pay for
The Ghana Education Service publishes a harmonised prospectus listing what a student brings. Schools are told not to ask for anything beyond it. Based on the prospectus:
Every student
- Uniforms and shoes
- Exercise books, textbooks as prescribed, and writing materials
- A school bag and stationery, a calculator and a geometry set
- A raincoat or umbrella
Boarders, as well
- A mattress, blankets, pillows and sheets
- Sportswear, and formal and sports shoes
- A trunk or hard suitcase
- Toiletries, a water bottle, a torchlight, a sewing kit and a flash drive
- Cleaning items the prospectus names, such as brooms and buckets
Then there is what no list covers: transport for day students, pocket money, visits, and provisions through the term. Independent research has found these hidden costs fall hardest on poorer families.
— Where to buy school supplies — What education costs in Accra
PTA dues
The government does not pay Parent-Teacher Association dues, and has refused requests to let schools charge other levies. Whether a PTA asks for dues, and how much, is a matter for each school’s PTA, agreed at its meetings. Ask for the PTA’s decision in writing.
If a school asks for more
- Ask what the charge is for, and whether it is in the prospectus.
- Ask for a receipt for anything you pay.
- Report unapproved charges to the school’s district education office, or to the Ghana Education Service. The GES has repeatedly warned heads against charging beyond the approved prospectus.
Reporting
Students report on the date on their placement slip, with the slip, the items on the prospectus and their admission documents. A student who cannot report on time should tell the school before the date.