The Ghana Education Service (GES) will institute a probe into circumstances that led to the headmaster of Vakpo Senior High School and the accountant allegedly charging unapproved fees under the free Senior High School (SHS) programme.

A parent whose ward is a student at Vakpo SHS revealed that her child was asked by the headmaster to pay GHS50 covering water and electricity bills, a payment that was done.

He told Chief Jerry Forson on the Ghana Yensom show on Accra 100.5FM on Monday, 19 February 2018 that: “I was very disturbed about the issue because we know the government has taken care of all those bills under the free SHS programme.

“The headmaster told my child that we needed to pay the money because the government says it needs financial support from parents to finance the programme.”

Reacting to this development on the same show, Mr Michael Nsowah, Chairman of the Governing Council of the Ghana Education Service (GES) said: “We will investigate this matter. I'm sure the parent was issued with a receipt covering the payment and so I'll want her to bring those receipts to be used as evidence.

“We'll summon the Vakpo headmaster and the accountant over the matter. If they are unable to explain what happened, the necessary actions will be taken.”

Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated that no headmaster should charge unapproved fees.

“No headmaster or headmistress, therefore, is to charge any unapproved or illegal fees, or charging fees already exempted under the free SHS policy. Government will make sure of this, and sanction any school head who flouts this directive,” he said.

The President continued, “We have a sacred duty to our children, and to the generations beyond, in ensuring that, irrespective of their circumstances, their right to an education is preserved.”

President Akufo-Addo made this known on Saturday, 17 February 2018, when he attended the 60th anniversary celebration of Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary, in Koforidua, in the Eastern Region.