The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has ordered an immediate investigation into reports that some senior high schools are charging students for services that are meant to be free.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, April 8, the Minister responded to complaints that certain schools were collecting fees for Ghana Education Service (GES)-approved online classes.

A message sent to the programme alleged that “some SHS are charging fees for GES-approved online classes which was meant to be a top up to complete the first term… authorities are charging GH₵609 in the name of PTA.”

In response, the Minister described the charges as unlawful and assured that action would be taken.

“Those are unlawful charges that the Director General of GES will investigate, and appropriate sanctions will be applied,” he said.

He added that he had already initiated steps to address the matter.

“I've just requested the Director General of GES to join me in the office… so he will be here.”

When asked whether the issue would be handled urgently, Mr Iddrisu affirmed that immediate action would be taken.

“So we should take it that this is something that will be dealt with immediately,” he said.

The Minister also addressed concerns regarding the distribution of tablets intended to support online learning, following complaints that some students had not received the devices.

“It may just be an isolated case. I'm aware that it's been distributed widely across the country,” he said, noting that he had spoken with the president of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), who confirmed receipt of the devices.

Responding to concerns about enforcement and monitoring, particularly involving students preparing for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the Minister outlined measures to strengthen oversight.

“I’m setting up a technical committee to monitor that this year,” he said.

He explained that the monitoring process would involve broader stakeholder participation.

“So it will not just be one individual or just two persons… CHASS will have representation, and parents will have representation to track and monitor.”

Mr Iddrisu also highlighted long-standing infrastructure challenges within the education sector, particularly following the introduction of the Free Senior High School policy.

“We are still dealing with the symptoms of a national problem. Infrastructure across the country did not match the introduction of the Free Senior High School,” he said.

He pointed to rapid enrolment growth without corresponding expansion in facilities.

“If you had a population of 1,400, now 3,500, what do you expect? There will be congestion, there will be overcrowding.”

To address these challenges, the Minister disclosed that Ghana has secured significant external support.

“Thankfully… we've gotten $300 million from the World Bank. Take-off should be from July for infrastructure,” he said.

The funding is expected to support infrastructure upgrades across schools and expand capacity, alongside additional interventions through the GETFund.