The Ghana Education Service (GES) Directorate in the Central Tongu District has directed all Headteachers of Junior High School (JHS) in the area to desist from collecting any form of data processing fees from candidates sitting for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 2026.
According to the directive signed by Mrs Happy Tsifokor, the District Director of Education, Mr Dodzi Addison Mornyuie, the District Chief Executive (DCE) and Mr Alexander Roosevelt Hotordze, the Member of Parliament (MP) have jointly assumed full responsibility for the payment of all BECE data processing costs for candidates in the district.
The directive said “no Headteacher shall charge any candidate or parent any fee under the pretext of data processing or related activities, as all financial commitments in that regard are to be borne by the offices of the DCE and MP.”
It cautioned that the directive takes immediate effect and warned that the Directorate would not hesitate to take administrative action against any headteacher who fails to comply with the directive.
This initiative is to ease the financial burden on parents and ensure that no student is left behind due to cost.
Some parents who spoke to the Ghana News Agency, commended the DCE and the MP, for the intervention, describing it as timely and relieving.
A parent, Madam Faustina Gavor, said the directive had brought great relief to many families who were already struggling with the cost of registration, learning materials, and extra classes.
“We were worried about paying extra fees, but this support has lifted a huge burden off our shoulders,” she stated.
Another parent, Mr Emmanuel Agbozo, lauded the collaboration between the two leaders, saying, “It’s good to see our leaders working together to support education. It shows they care about the future of our children.”
The directive, copied to all JHS headteachers, the DCE, and the Member of Parliament, seeks to ensure fairness and relieve parents of additional financial burdens associated with BECE preparations.
Source: GNA