Parents Associations can fundraise to support Free SHS policy –GES

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has released guidelines allowing Parents Associations (PAs) to raise funds to support the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

While the PAs can explore various fundraising avenues for school development, they are not allowed to charge fees to students or pupils. These guidelines were created in response to concerns about Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) imposing excessive levies that undermined the goals of the Free SHS policy. As a result, the GES suspended levies in all schools and reorganized PTAs into PAs to limit the involvement of school management and staff.

PAs are expected to operate independently and support school development projects in collaboration with school management. Providing support to teachers and staff through incentive packages and welfare schemes is also allowed, but it should not discriminate against any student. Individual parents or guardians can make voluntary donations to the school, but such donations should not confer any special privileges. Although school management cannot be signatories to PAs’ activities, they can participate without assuming liability. PAs are required to submit their annual activities and plans for approval and undergo annual audits.