The Ghana Education Service (GES) says it has begun investigations into multiple allegations of extortion and improper resource demands in the ongoing Senior High School (SHS) placement process.

Speaking on Luv FM’s morning show, the Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the GES, Henry Osei Boateng, addressed growing concerns about the conduct of some school heads and staff, particularly at placement resolution centres and on school campuses.

He revealed that although thousands of students have already been placed in various schools, the real challenge lies in the large number of parents seeking to change their wards’ placement, which has created unexpected pressure on infrastructure and logistics across several schools.

“Every student has gotten a placement, but the real challenge is that many of them are not comfortable with their schools. The changes being made at the resolution centres are what’s creating the pressure,” Mr. Boateng explained.

Amid the rush for changes, the GES has received reports alleging that some schools are demanding mattresses, beds, and other basic supplies from parents, even though these items have already been supplied by the government. Other reports claim that some parents are paying money at resolution centres in order to switch schools.

“These are all allegations for now,” the GES PRO stressed. “We are looking into them, and any head or official found culpable will be dealt with according to our disciplinary procedures.”

He cited a precedent from two years ago where some school heads were interdicted for demanding unauthorized payments from parents.

“So far, no head has officially confirmed asking parents for items or money. We are taking these allegations seriously, and investigations are ongoing,” he said.

In response to concerns about inadequate resources, Mr. Boateng noted that the GES has already distributed essential materials to schools and is continuing with further deployments.

He singled out the newly established J.A. Kufuor STEM School, which is set to admit 1,000 students, all of whom will be provided with beds and mattresses.

Despite this, there are reports that some schools still instruct students to bring personal mattresses and other essentials, contrary to official provisions. “We are looking into all such cases,” he said.

To parents whose children have not yet been placed, Mr. Boateng advised visiting the placement resolution centres, assuring the public that every child will be placed by the end of the exercise.

He also touched on a broader systemic issue: poor school selection practices.

“What’s creating a lot of the problems is not the placement system itself but parents wanting changes. We need to intensify public education on school selection to reduce these pressures in the future,” said the PRO.

In an effort to reinforce discipline and academic integrity, Mr. Boateng revealed that the student transcript system has been revised. In addition to academic records and testimonials, student conduct on campus will now be included in their official transcripts.

Finally, he hinted that due to the delayed start to the academic calendar, the Christmas period may serve only as a short break rather than a full vacation