The Headmaster of Kpassa Senior High Technical School (KPASTECH), Rockson Kwame Tawiah, has been removed from office for collecting unauthorised fees from students in violation of Ghana Education Service (GES) regulations.
A committee established by the Director-General of the GES found Mr. Tawiah guilty of demanding GH¢150 from each of the school’s 2,900 students without the approval of the school’s Board of Governors or the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). The decision to remove him followed a detailed investigation into the matter, which drew widespread public concern.
GES Public Relations Officer, Daniel Fenyi, confirmed the action in an interview, noting that the Director-General had ordered Mr. Tawiah to report to the Oti Regional Directorate of the GES for reassignment.
“Reassignment does not mean that he will be a headmaster of another school. The understanding I have is that there are other sanctions that will be meted out to him,” Fenyi explained.
The controversy began when reports emerged in October that the headmaster had imposed fines on students to compensate for the alleged loss of 27 ceiling fans, lamp holders, and bulbs within the school. Each student was made to pay GH¢150, which was projected to raise about GH¢435,000 in total.
The Daily Graphic earlier revealed that even final-year students who had completed the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) were compelled to pay the fines. They were allegedly threatened that their results would be withheld if they failed to comply. Students were issued receipts bearing the stamp of the school’s accountant as proof of payment.
Further investigations showed that newly admitted students were also subjected to additional requirements not approved by GES. Each was forced to buy a ream of A4 bond paper and a mini-bucket of emulsion paint, items not listed in the official prospectus. In addition, fresh students were made to pay GH¢50 before their admission letters could be recognised or processed, with no receipts issued for those payments.
The practice angered many parents, who described it as an unfair financial burden, particularly under the Free Senior High School policy, which was introduced by the government to eliminate such costs for families.
Following the exposé, the Director-General of GES summoned Mr. Tawiah, alongside the Nkwanta-North District and Oti Regional Directors of Education, to the GES headquarters in Accra for questioning. They appeared before the investigative committee on Tuesday, October 28.
When contacted for updates, GES PRO Daniel Fenyi confirmed that the committee had concluded its findings, leading to the removal of the headmaster from office. “The final report of the investigative committee will be made available soon, but I spoke with the Director-General this afternoon, and he said the headmaster has been removed from office,” he disclosed.
He added that the GES has directed the immediate refund of all unauthorised monies collected from parents and students. “The headmaster has been instructed to return all the funds as a matter of urgency,” he emphasised.
Reports indicate that the school has already begun refunding money to affected students following GES’s directive. The Service is also expected to consider further disciplinary actions depending on the findings of the full report.
The development underscores the GES’s commitment to enforcing accountability and discipline within the education sector, ensuring that school authorities adhere to government policies and protect students from exploitation.
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