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Final year students in the various public senior high schools across the country will pay only 50 per cent of their school fees for their entire third term, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced.

The March 29-decision, the GES management explained, has been necessitated by the fact that the final year students will spend only seven weeks of the entire 14-week third term in school.

Continuing students –second and final year students –in the various public funded SHS do not enjoy the free SHS which was introduced by the government in September last year to cushion parents.

Parents no longer pay tuition fees, admission fees, library fees, science centre fees, computer lab fees, examination fees and utility fees. Also, there are free textbooks, free boarding and free meals, for students.

Why the reduction?

Though schools will reopen for the commencement of the third term on April 16 to July 20, the final year students will be begin their WASSCE on June 1, meaning they will spend seven out of the 14 weeks for the term.

“It is therefore directed that final year students should pay one-half or fifty per cent of the fees of students for the third term,” a statement signed and issued by the Director General of GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa said.

It said that in the instance where the final year students will be asked to stay in school during the current holidays or will re-open earlier than 16 April 2018, “the fees should be adjusted to reflect the number of weeks they will be spending in school”.

The statement asked that all regional directors “ensure strict compliance” of the decision which will be welcomed by parents.