Ghana Education Service bans school discrimination over student storage containers

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a directive to heads of Senior High Schools (SHS) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTS) prohibiting them from denying admission or boarding accommodation to students based on the type of personal storage containers they possess.

The order follows reports that some schools were refusing students who arrived with metal trunks, wooden chop boxes, or other containers that did not meet specific school preferences. In a statement signed by Deputy Director-General Professor Smile Dzisi, the GES noted that such practices impose unnecessary financial burdens on parents and guardians who may be unable to afford specific brands or types of storage prescribed by individual institutions.

The GES emphasized that all admitted students must be treated fairly without discrimination based on economic circumstances. Schools are permitted to refuse items only if they are not reasonably sized or if they pose a risk to the health, safety, or welfare of other students. Regional directors have been instructed to ensure compliance, and any school head found flouting the directive will face disciplinary action in accordance with applicable regulations.