Stop collecting illegal end-of-term exams fees – GES cautions

The Ghana Education Service (GES) reacting to the ongoing collection of illegal fees for the conduct of examinations in various public schools by teachers and head teachers has cautioned all staff of the service to put a stop to the practice.

 Stop collecting illegal end-of-term exams fees – GES cautions in its latest letter to public schools

In a letter dated 1st August 2022, said its attention has been drawn to the collecting monies from pupils/parents to organize End of Term Examinations.

“The attention of Management of Ghana Education Service (GES) has been drawn on the unfortunate practice of some Metro/Municipal/District Director of Education collecting monies from pupils/parents to organize End of Term Examinations”

The GES further termed the practice an “unfortunate practice” which it said must be halted.  In April 2019, a similar order from the GES led to viral pictures of teachers writing end-of-term examinations on chalkboards going viral. Three years on, teachers and schools have received another caution not to collect money from parents to print and run end-of-term examinations.

In its caution statement in the letter, it cautioned all Directors of Education, Headteachers, and Teachers to stop collecting monies from pupils/parents. The GES for the past five years has directed that no school and head teacher or teacher should charge learners or parents for examination. Following the introduction of the 2019 New curriculum, the GES directed all schools to use what is termed “Internal Assessment Score (IAS)” which comprises Homework, Class
Tests, Group Work, and Project Work as the means of assessing students at the end of each term.

In its letter cautioning public schools to desist from the collection of examination fees, it said “For clarity, Management of GES wishes to remind all Metro/Municipal / District Directors of Education that the guidelines suggested in the learning assessment framework of the Standard-Based Curriculum (SBC) states that school based assessment, comprising test undertaken internally at the school level should form the basis for the Internal Assessment Score (IAS). This includes Homework, Class Tests, Group Work and Project Work”.

It directed teachers and school leaders to visit the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NaCCA) Website for the revised learning assessment framework of the SBC document and use its content as their guide in the performance of their duties.

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“Metro/Municipal/District Directors of Education are to encourage Heads of Public Basic Schools and Teachers to access and make good use of the site and follow all guidelines concerning internal assessments as spelled out in SBC”. The statement said.

“Regional Directors of the Service are to ensure that the practice of collecting money from parents and pupils ceases henceforth”.

In a related development, parents whose wards attend Dzemeni EP primary and JHS school in the South Dayi district in the Volta region have called on the GES to help put a stop to a similar practice. The school according to a parent is involved in the collection of termly school fees and examination fees. Check that full story here Some Public Schools in V/R Charge Illegal Termly Exam and School Fees

Source: Ghana Education News