The National Council of Parent Teacher Association (NCPTA) has challenged a directive by the Ghana Education Service (GES) ordering senior high school authorities to stop collecting PTA dues and levies, arguing that the directive does not reflect the effect of an existing High Court injunction.

The Council said the court order, issued on July 21, 2026, preserved the status quo in a case between the NCPTA and the Attorney General and GES.

The development follows a September 23 directive from GES ordering heads of senior high and senior high technical schools to stop collecting unauthorised fees and levies from parents and guardians.

GES said no student or parent should be compelled to pay admission fees, PTA dues or other unauthorised charges as a condition for admission, enrolment, participation in school activities or access to school services. It also directed schools that had collected such fees to refund the money.

On PTA dues specifically, GES said discussions and collection remain on hold because the matter is before the courts.

In a statement dated September 24, the NCPTA said it supports the Free Senior High School policy and agrees that no student should be denied admission, enrolment, participation in school activities or access to school services because a parent has not paid any fee or levy.

It, however, stressed that membership of the NCPTA and payment of its dues and levies are voluntary.

The Council said the High Court in Accra, in Suit No. GJ/004/2026, granted an interlocutory injunction on July 21 restraining the Attorney General and GES from implementing the GES PTA Guidelines in areas where NCPTA associations operate and from preventing its branches from operating.

According to the NCPTA, the court did not suspend the collection of PTA dues and levies.

“The Court directed that the status quo be preserved until the case is finally determined,” the Council said.

The NCPTA said it has therefore written to the Director-General of GES seeking an urgent clarification that the September 23 directive does not apply to its branches in a manner inconsistent with the court’s orders.

Pending the clarification, the Council said its branches would continue to operate lawfully.

It said it had directed branch executives to ensure that payment of dues and levies remains strictly voluntary and that no child is denied any right or service because of non-payment.

The Council also directed that all monies collected be receipted and properly accounted for in accordance with its procedures.

The NCPTA urged parents who experience any compulsion to pay PTA dues as a condition for admission or access to school services to report such cases to the Council.

It said the reports could be made through 0244092107 or 0244577545.

The dispute follows GES's warning that heads of senior high and senior high technical schools who disregard its directive could face administrative sanctions, including removal from office.

The Service has also urged parents and members of the public to report cases of unauthorised fee collection for investigation.

The latest positions from the two sides create a legal dispute over how the High Court's interim order should be understood and its effect on PTA operations and collections.

The substantive case before the court is expected to determine the respective scope of GES's regulatory authority and the NCPTA's operations in public senior high schools.