Secretary for Education, Dr. Uke Kombra issued a circular warning school administrations throughout the country not to collect school and project fees from parents.
The direction was issued through Circular No. 05/2023 on Monday 30 January, directed to provincial education advisors, district education officers, school inspectors and school heads.
The circular warned school heads not to defy the government’s GTFS Policy Directives by collecting school and project fees.
Stating that school heads found to be collecting school and project fees will be charged and suspended from payroll.
The public announcement was headlined ‘No School Fees or Project Fees to be charged by Schools in the National Education System in 2023’
Secretary’s Circular No 4 of 2023 with subject: Administration and Management of Project Fees Funding for 2022 and 2023, applies to all school heads in general education sector including; pre-schools, primary schools, junior high schools, secondary schools, national school of excellence, vocational schools, FODE provincial centres and Inclusive Education Resource centres.
The circular is a reminder for school heads, school boards of management; board of governors, governing councils, district and provincial education boards as stipulated in the GTF Policy – MPS 1/2023.
Noncompliance to these directives will see school inspectors charge and suspend school heads without pay.
As per the Circular, the defiant School Heads can only be restored to pay after all due discipline processes that come under the PEB and NEB are duly and fully completed and the Secretary and TSC Chairman are informed accordingly.