Despite the general perception that Free Senior High School (SHS) has been made available for all to attend, some headteachers continue to charge and sell unapproved items to first-year students.

This is regardless of the various measures put in place by the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education.

Although education is free, Bishop Herman College in Kpando is charging extra money from parents for their ward's items if the students want to enjoy their stay in the second-cycle institution.

Myjoyonline.com has sighted a list of items the students are expected to acquire specifically from the school, amounting to GH₵935, without which the students would not be fully admitted.

Below is the full list of items first-year students must acquire from the school.

1. Furniture support – GH₵50
2. Exercise book – GH₵50
3. Exeat – GH₵20
4. Colleges cloth & cardigan – GH₵350 +30
5. Tracksuit – GH₵200+20
6. College Tie – GH₵25
7. College hymnal – GH₵45
8. White T-shirt – GH₵40
9. Hoe- GH₵35

This brings the amount to a subtotal of GH₵865.

Again, the list includes an additional GH₵70 for food supplements, bringing the total to approximately GH₵935.

However, the list does not end there. Parents are expected to cough out money to cater for the following as well;

1. Parent Teacher Association dues- GH₵120
2. House dues - GH₵50
3. Passport picture - GH₵ 50
4. Writing names - GH₵15

This implies that parents are expected to pay an additional amount of GH₵235.

Speaking on the issue, a worried parent who asked to remain anonymous said she did not expect to pay so much to get her ward admitted.

She mentioned that they had already spent a significant amount to meet everything in the prospectus, therefore coming to the school only to be told about additional charges was problematic.

She added that the timelines they were also given to report to the school makes it difficult to generate enough money.

This comes hours after the Ghana Education Service (GES) took a decisive step to suspend the headmistresses of O’Reilly Senior High School and Ghana Senior High School for breaching their code of conduct.

• Read also: GES to investigate two SHS heads over alleged fee charging, selling of items

According to JoyNews, the headmistress of O’Reilly Senior High School is specifically accused of collecting unauthorised funds during the admission process, prompting her suspension for the commencement of investigations.

The headteacher of Ghana Senior High School was, however, accused of selling some items to the first year students.