Spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has criticised the reported sale of Senior High School (SHS) prospectus items through Prospectus Ghana Limited, describing the arrangement as a potential burden on parents.

According to Yaw Opoku Mensah, the reported arrangement, under which parents are being directed to purchase prospectus items in packages costing about GH¢1,700, defeats the purpose of the Free SHS policy.

“Stop turning Free SHS into a cash cow,” he said.

His comments come amid controversy over the EduPack programme operated by Prospectus Ghana Limited, with the National Council of Parents-Teachers Associations (NCPTA) urging parents not to pay the reported GH¢1,617 for a package of prospectus items.

The NCPTA has also alleged that Prospectus Ghana Limited had not been authorised by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to sell prospectus items to parents or collect payments on behalf of schools.

Mr Mensah said the company had, however, indicated that it had authority to enter schools, and referenced videos circulating online which he said showed the company delivering items at Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC).

“If parents are being compelled to buy from one company simply because their children attend public SHS, then the motive for the programme has been defeated,” he said.

According to him, the reported arrangement amounts to shifting additional financial pressure onto parents who are already beneficiaries of a policy intended to reduce the cost of secondary education.

“Free SHS must not become ‘free education, but pay here for your prospectus,’” he said.

The GES released a National Harmonised Prospectus for the 2026/2027 academic year on September 3, outlining items required for both boarding and day students.

It also directed schools and other relevant stakeholders to adhere to the requirements to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process.

The NCPTA has said parents remain free to purchase prospectus items from the open market and has called on the GES to take action against any school that attempts to compel parents to buy from a particular vendor.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of Prospectus Ghana Limited, Jude Fosu Gyamfi, has defended the company’s SHS prospectus supply programme, describing it as legal and voluntary and saying it was intended to make the admission process more convenient for parents.

Mr Opoku Mensah has nonetheless urged authorities to scrutinise any arrangement that places additional financial obligations on parents.

“If we cannot question arrangements that are placing additional burdens on parents, then we should prepare ourselves for more rip-offs,” he said.