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General News of 2015-02-14
Five Junior High School heads of the Abavanna cluster of schools in Accra together with four of their counterparts at Kanda accused of charging exorbitant examination fees have been demoted.
The demoted heads have also been instructed by the Education Ministry to refund monies they illegally collected from pupils as examination registration fees. The sanctions were announced after the heads were summoned, Friday to justify why they were charging illegal fees.
The investigation and subsequent disciplinary action by the Education Ministry follows a Joy News’ exposé which revealed that some schools in the capital were charging as high as GH¢200 for an examination registration process that is supposed to cost 17.40 Ghana cedis per candidate.
Per the Education Ministry's directive, the schools can add additional charges based on negotiations and this is what some schools were exploiting. Kwetey Nartey reported that the additional charges have prevented 16-year-old Fred, a pupil of Kotobabi 3, in the Abavanna cluster of Schools from registering to write his exams.
It is the second time he was missing the opportunity to register and write the BECE, Nartey reported. He was one of many students whose parents were unable to pay the registrations fee.
Pupils at the Abavanna cluster of schools were paying GHS111.00, whilst those at the Kanda cluster of schools were paying GHS120.00. Those at the Garrison schools at Burma Camp were also paying GHS 50.00 for the same process.
Examinations Coordinator for the Accra Metro Education Directorate, Kwasi Asante, said there was little they could do about the situation. But the Ministry has found a solution, at least for the time being. Kwasi Asante is on his way out of the Accra Metro.
Kwetey Nartey reported five school heads from the Abavanna Cluster of schools and the Accra Metro Education Directorate Kwesi Asante were summoned by the Ministry to explain why they were charging the exorbitant fees.
The heads from the Kanda cluster of schools failed to turn up. It appeared those present at the meeting were not successful in justifying why they were charging illegal fees.
Kwetey Nartey told Myjoyonline.com the school heads from Abavanna will no longer hold themselves out as heads of the various clusters. The same sanctions have been handed to the heads of Kanda Cluster of schools head who failed to turn up at the Ministry's meeting.
According to the Ministry, the schools can only charge GHS30.00 and have instructed the heads to refund the overcharged amounts to the parents of the pupils.
With these sanctions, the heads at Abavanna are to refund GHS81.00 to each pupil. Those at the Kanda Cluster of Schools are to refund GHS90.00 whilst those at Garrison schools in Burma Camp are to refund GHS20.00.
General News of 2015-02-14
Five Junior High School heads of the Abavanna cluster of schools in Accra together with four of their counterparts at Kanda accused of charging exorbitant examination fees have been demoted.
The demoted heads have also been instructed by the Education Ministry to refund monies they illegally collected from pupils as examination registration fees. The sanctions were announced after the heads were summoned, Friday to justify why they were charging illegal fees.
The investigation and subsequent disciplinary action by the Education Ministry follows a Joy News’ exposé which revealed that some schools in the capital were charging as high as GH¢200 for an examination registration process that is supposed to cost 17.40 Ghana cedis per candidate.
Per the Education Ministry's directive, the schools can add additional charges based on negotiations and this is what some schools were exploiting. Kwetey Nartey reported that the additional charges have prevented 16-year-old Fred, a pupil of Kotobabi 3, in the Abavanna cluster of Schools from registering to write his exams.
It is the second time he was missing the opportunity to register and write the BECE, Nartey reported. He was one of many students whose parents were unable to pay the registrations fee.
Pupils at the Abavanna cluster of schools were paying GHS111.00, whilst those at the Kanda cluster of schools were paying GHS120.00. Those at the Garrison schools at Burma Camp were also paying GHS 50.00 for the same process.
Examinations Coordinator for the Accra Metro Education Directorate, Kwasi Asante, said there was little they could do about the situation. But the Ministry has found a solution, at least for the time being. Kwasi Asante is on his way out of the Accra Metro.
Kwetey Nartey reported five school heads from the Abavanna Cluster of schools and the Accra Metro Education Directorate Kwesi Asante were summoned by the Ministry to explain why they were charging the exorbitant fees.
The heads from the Kanda cluster of schools failed to turn up. It appeared those present at the meeting were not successful in justifying why they were charging illegal fees.
Kwetey Nartey told Myjoyonline.com the school heads from Abavanna will no longer hold themselves out as heads of the various clusters. The same sanctions have been handed to the heads of Kanda Cluster of schools head who failed to turn up at the Ministry's meeting.
According to the Ministry, the schools can only charge GHS30.00 and have instructed the heads to refund the overcharged amounts to the parents of the pupils.
With these sanctions, the heads at Abavanna are to refund GHS81.00 to each pupil. Those at the Kanda Cluster of Schools are to refund GHS90.00 whilst those at Garrison schools in Burma Camp are to refund GHS20.00.
