GES: Free SHS Intact, No Payment Required

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has officially refuted viral social media claims that the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy has been abolished, and that parents are now required to pay GH¢1,500 for chop boxes, trunks, and other student essentials.

In a circular issued on Tuesday, the GES labelled the reports as entirely false and urged parents, guardians, and the general public to treat them with the utmost caution.

The misleading information, which began circulating ahead of the upcoming enrolment of new senior high school students, had sparked anxiety among families already preparing for the academic term. Some posts alleged that the GES Director-General had personally ordered the cancellation of the landmark policy and introduced the compulsory fee.

But in its response, the GES made it clear that neither the policy nor any such payment directive exists.

“Management wishes to state categorically that the publication is FALSE and should be disregarded,” the statement read. “Management has not cancelled the Free SHS policy, nor has the Director-General issued any directive requiring parents or guardians to pay any money for chop boxes, trunks or any other item.”

The Service further emphasised that the Director-General does not possess the authority to unilaterally scrap a national policy of such magnitude, reinforcing that the Free SHS programme remains fully operational.

As part of its advisory, the GES strongly cautioned the public against making any form of payment to individuals or groups based on unverified social media posts. The Service reiterated that all legitimate communications are disseminated exclusively through its official channels.

“Parents, guardians, students and the general public are therefore urged not to make any payments to anyone,” the GES added. “The public should rely only on official communications issued through the Service’s authorised channels and treat unverified publications on social media with caution.”

The GES continues to encourage citizens to verify any policy-related information directly with its regional or national offices to avoid falling victim to misinformation.