In what has sparked concern among parents and education stakeholders, the management of St. Thomas Senior High School in Asamankese, Eastern Region, h
In what has sparked concern among parents and education stakeholders, the management of St. Thomas Senior High School in Asamankese, Eastern Region, has reportedly directed parents to procure several items and make various payments for their wards before the commencement of the new academic term.
According to information gathered, the directive, which has been formally communicated to parents through a notice issued by the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Secretary, outlines a list of mandatory items each parent must provide. These include a mono desk for their ward’s personal use and a cash payment of GH¢120 to enable the school to purchase plastic chairs for the Assembly Hall, intended for PTA meetings and other official gatherings.
Additionally, parents have been instructed to provide a bottle of insecticide spray—specifically Roma or Kill It brands—to help control bedbugs within the dormitories.
More strikingly, the notice further mandates that each parent contribute one bag of cement to support the school’s ongoing pavement project, a move that many parents argue amounts to shifting government responsibilities onto them.
Aside from these contributions, reports indicate that parents are also being asked to pay GH¢1,500 each for student beds and to purchase school uniforms directly from the institution.
Parents say the cumulative costs have become financially burdensome, especially for low-income families struggling to keep their children in school.
The notice, titled “Notice to All SHS 1 Parents/Guardians,” also reminded parents of a scheduled meeting with the school’s management on Saturday, November 1, to discuss the outlined items and other administrative issues.
It further requested that parents submit outstanding admission documents such as birth certificates, active National Health Insurance cards, passport-size photographs, and medical reports for students with special health conditions.
While the school management insists that the contributions are necessary to enhance infrastructure and improve learning conditions, some parents have criticized the directive, calling it exploitative and contrary to the government’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy.
The Free SHS policy, introduced in 2017, was designed to eliminate financial barriers to secondary education by covering tuition, textbooks, meals, and other essentials.
However, under this John Mahama administration, it has seen a growing trend where some schools, citing inadequate government funding, have introduced extra levies or required “voluntary contributions” from parents to support maintenance and infrastructure projects.
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