GES orders SHS to stop turning away students with metal trunks, wooden chop boxes

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a directive to Senior High Schools (SHS) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTS) instructing them to cease rejecting duly admitted boarding students due to the type of metal trunks, wooden chop boxes, or other personal storage containers they bring to school. This directive comes in response to reports that certain schools were denying boarding accommodations to new students based on the kind of trunk or chop box they possess.

According to the directive, such practices can impose significant financial burdens on parents and guardians who might not afford alternative storage containers mandated by individual schools. The GES has emphasized that every admitted boarding student should be treated fairly and accommodated without discrimination rooted in their economic status or their parents' or guardians' ability to buy specific brands or types of personal items.

The directive further instructs Regional Directors to ensure that all Heads of Schools refrain from turning away, refusing to admit, or denying accommodation to duly admitted students solely on the basis of the type of trunk, chop box, or personal storage container they bring to school. However, the GES clarified that these items must be reasonably sized, safe, and not pose any risk to the health, safety, or welfare of other students.

Any reported instances of duly admitted students being denied accommodation or turned away solely due to the type of trunk, chop box, or personal storage container brought to school must be promptly investigated and reported to management. The GES has also warned that Heads of SHS and SHTS failing to comply with this directive will face sanctions in line with the applicable standards, regulations, and laws governing the Service.

This move aims to prevent the denial of boarding accommodations based on the financial circumstances of parents or guardians or their inability to purchase specific personal storage containers.