The Headmaster of Kpassa Senior High Technical School (KPASTECH), Rockson Kwame Tawiah, has been removed from office for collecting unauthorised fees from students.
According to a Daily Graphic report, a committee set up by the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) found Mr Tawiah culpable for charging GH¢150 from each of the school’s 2,900 students, located in the Nkwanta-North District of the Oti Region.
The GES Public Relations Officer, Daniel Fenyi, disclosed this on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. He stated that the Director-General had directed Mr Tawiah to report to the Oti Regional Directorate of the GES for reassignment.
“Reassignment does not mean that he will be a headmaster of another school. The understanding I have is that there are other sanctions that will be meted out to him,” Mr Fenyi said.
The fees, totalling approximately GH¢435,000, were imposed without approval from the Board of Governors or the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). They were purportedly to compensate for the loss of 27 ceiling fans, lamp holders, and bulbs.
All 860 students who sat for this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) were also required to pay the GH¢150 fee, with threats of blocking their results if they refused. Payments were issued receipts bearing the stamp of the school’s accountant.
Newly admitted students were compelled to purchase a ream of A4 bond paper and one mini-bucket of emulsion paint, items not included in the GES-approved prospectus. Additionally, each fresh student paid GH¢50 for admission letter processing, without receipts.
Parents expressed concern over the charges, citing the government’s Free Senior High School policy aimed at reducing financial burdens.
Following media reports highlighting tensions at the school, Mr Tawiah, along with the Nkwanta-North District and Oti Regional directors of education, were summoned to GES headquarters in Accra for questioning on October 28.
Mr Fenyi confirmed that Mr Tawiah has been directed to refund all collected monies urgently. The school has since begun refunding students who had paid, in line with the GES directive while a full investigative committee report is expected to be released soon.