GES denies cancellation of Free SHS, warns against GH¢1,500 ‘chop box’ payment
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that the Director-General has cancelled the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy and directed parents to pay GH¢1,500 for chop boxes and trunks.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has firmly denied recent claims on social media suggesting the cancellation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy and the directive for parents to pay GH¢1,500 for chop boxes and trunks. In a statement released on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, the GES condemned the false report and advised the public to ignore it.
The Service emphasized that the Free SHS policy continues to be in operation and that no directive has been issued by the Director-General demanding payment for chop boxes, trunks or other items. The GES made clear that the Director-General lacks the authority to cancel the Free SHS policy. Consequently, the Service warned parents, guardians, and students against making any financial transactions to individuals based on the misleading social media claims.
The GES urged the public to trust only official announcements from authorized GES channels and to be wary of unverified information spread through social media. Additionally, the Service called upon members of the public and media organizations to avoid generating, publishing, or disseminating false information that might instill unnecessary anxiety and confusion among parents, students, and the general public.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
