The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed all Regional Directors to ensure the immediate refund of any monies collected from students or their parents for the 2025 WASSCE practical examinations.
In an official letter dated July 28, 2025, and signed by the Ag Deputy Director-General (MS), Prof Smile Dzisi, GES confirmed that the Government of Ghana had already released full funding to cover all costs related to the practical exams, including materials and resources.

Management expressed concern over reports that some school heads had demanded payments from candidates, parents, or guardians despite the availability of government funds for the same purpose.
The affected heads have been ordered to: Refund all monies collected for the WASSCE practicals;

Properly document the refund process and issue official receipts to confirm repayments and notify their respective Regional Directors once the refunds have been completed.

GES emphasised that adhering to this directive would help reduce financial burdens on families and prevent any student from being excluded due to inability to pay. The Service also warned that failure to comply would be regarded as a serious breach of official instructions and could result in administrative sanctions.
Regional Directors have been tasked to disseminate the directive to all school heads through their Municipal, Metro, and District Directors of Education.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that government has fully cleared all outstanding arrears of the Capitation Grant for public basic schools.

This development, according to the Head of Public Relations, Daniel Fenyii, covers the period from 2023 to date.

"This payment reflects government’s strong resolve and practical support towards the smooth operation and effective management of basic education across the country,” the statement read.

The Capitation Grant provides essential funding for the day-to-day management of public basic schools, including the purchase of teaching and learning materials, minor repairs, and other school-level administrative activities.

According to the service, the timely release of the grant “empowers heads of basic schools to deliver quality education with greater autonomy and accountability.”

GES expressed appreciation to both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance for prioritising the payment of the grant despite ongoing economic challenges.

“The Management of GES acknowledges and appreciates the efforts of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance for prioritising this payment despite the prevailing economic pressures,” the statement reads.

GES also commended heads of schools for their patience and continued dedication in the face of delays: “We further commend all heads of basic schools for their patience and continued dedication in ensuring that teaching and learning have remained uninterrupted, regardless.”

With funds now fully disbursed, GES urged school leaders to use the grants responsibly and in strict accordance with established guidelines.

“We urge all school leaders to use the funds responsibly and in line with the guidelines for the utilisation of the Capitation Grant,” the Service advised.

GES added that monitoring efforts would be intensified to ensure proper use of the funds. “Monitoring teams at the district and regional levels will intensify supervision to ensure compliance and value for money.”

GES reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening education delivery in the country.

“GES remains committed to working with all stakeholders to improve learning outcomes, enhance school management systems, and ensure the delivery of inclusive, equitable, and quality education for every Ghanaian child.”

The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Tanko Musah, has called for calm and urged students to embrace peace following the temporary closure of Zuarungu Senior High School (SHS) in the Upper East Region.

The Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, ordered the immediate closure of the school on Sunday, July 20, after violent clashes broke out between Frafra and Kusasi students over an alleged mobile phone theft.

Describing the incident as “unfortunate,” the Minister assured that anyone found culpable would face the full force of the law, adding that no student involved in criminal activity would be spared.

Reacting to the development, Mr. Musah in an interview with Adom News expressed deep disappointment over the involvement of students—who, he said, should be ambassadors of peace—in such acts of violence.

“The boarding school system is meant to help students learn to live peacefully with others and build healthy relationships,” he stated. “It is saddening that such regrettable incidents are happening in our schools,” he said.

GNAT is urging all stakeholders, including school authorities, parents, and community leaders, to support efforts aimed at restoring peace and ensuring that such disturbances do not occur again.

By Yussif Ibrahim

A total of 305 teachers from four regions have undergone professional development training under the GNAT/CTF/FCE Teaching Together Project, a collaborative initiative between the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF).

The initiative, which focuses on peer learning, is anchored on the principle of “teachers teaching teachers to teach.”

It aims to strengthen educators’ pedagogical skills, knowledge, and classroom practices while promoting knowledge-sharing among peers.

This cohort marks the first group of over 600 teachers scheduled for training under the project, with the second batch expected to begin their session on Monday, July 21.

Key thematic areas covered during the training included inclusive education, technology education, gender and culture, and classroom organisation and management.

Mr. Moses Amadu Baman Snr., GNAT’s Deputy General Secretary in charge of Education and Professional Development, speaking at the closing ceremony, said the training was designed to equip teachers, especially those in deprived and underserved areas with 21st-century teaching competencies.

He emphasised GNAT’s commitment to continuous professional development, stating that as a professional teacher union, GNAT believes in lifelong learning to ensure its members remain relevant in an ever-evolving global teaching environment.

He added that GNAT, as a resilient, proactive and results-driven union, is determined not to fail the Ghanaian society which has entrusted its future in the hands of teachers.

Rev. Isaac Owusu, President of GNAT, also underscored the importance of teacher professionalism, a core value embedded in the Association’s constitution.

He reiterated the national leadership’s unwavering commitment to the continuous training and development of members.

He urged participants to apply the knowledge acquired during the training in their classrooms to ensure improved learning outcomes for students.

Rev. Owusu also called on members to take active interest in the activities of the Association, stressing that their funds directly support such developmental programmes.

He reminded them that GNAT, regardless of any changes in leadership, would always remain the vehicle through which their welfare and working conditions are advanced.

Teacher unions have been urged to drive educational policies to ensure their effective implementation in the country.

This is because teachers know the realities of the educational system, and therefore, would be able to tell the government where there are gaps.

The Director of Research of the GNAT Institute of Research and Industrial Relations Studies, Dr Linus Linnaeus Tannor, said: ‘’We should not wait for the government to rather come up with these policies and we only react to them".  

The director also said that policy makers must move from being just regulators to visionaries, while the role of unions must also move from advocates to architects.

He was speaking at the Seventh Quadrennial and Regional Conference of GNAT in Accra yesterday.

The three-day conference is on the theme: “Educating an African fit for the 21st Century: The role of policy makers and the unions in Ghana”.

Training

Dr Tannor called on policy makers to prioritise long term investment in teacher training for the digital age to equip them with the requisite knowledge to be able to deliver quality education to learners.

He also urged teacher unions to lead the future by influencing policy, shaping professional development, and being champions of education, and not only defenders of welfare issues.

“We, as teachers, are not just transmitters of knowledge. We as teachers are shapers of values — the values that the 21st Century Africa needs.

“We, as teachers, are the builders of minds, critical thinking and creativity, and we as teachers are the architects of national identity.

“But let's not pretend. Our educational system is facing deep cracks and you can see the foundation cracking.

Deep cracks of what, disillusionment in terms of low morale of teachers, under-investment and outdated relevance,” the director said.

Collaboration

Dr Tannor further said that unless teachers, unions and policy makers acted together, “we risk collapse”.

Being fit for the 21st Century, he said, was not just about tools and gadgets, but about preparing learners to solve problems “we have not yet seen, it's about using technologies that we have not yet imagined and it's about preparing learners for jobs that are not yet existing”.

“Academic brilliance is not just about books. The 21st Century learner is very curious and creative — they want systems that will allow them to explore, they want policies that will allow lifelong learning.

The 21st Century child is digitally affluent and uses text technically,” the director added.

Support

The President of GNAT, Rev. Isaac Owusu, called on members to rally support for the leadership in the association to champion their cause.

He said they must be proud of themselves as GNAT members.

For her part, the Greater Accra Regional Chairperson of GNAT, Sarah Oye Owiredu, said the region had been able to hold itself together in spite of challenges, adding that there was increase in membership.