GES orders senior high schools not to reject students over trunks and chop boxes

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has ordered senior high schools not to turn away newly admitted students or deny them boarding accommodation because they arrive with metal trunks, wooden chop boxes or other personal storage containers.

The directive follows reports received by the GES that some senior high schools and senior high technical schools were refusing to accommodate students whose storage containers did not meet requirements set by the individual institutions.

In a letter dated 18 September 2026, the GES said the practice could place unnecessary financial pressure on parents and guardians who might be unable to afford the alternatives prescribed by schools.

It instructed regional directors to inform heads of senior high and senior high technical schools to stop denying duly admitted students admission or accommodation solely because of the type of trunk, chop box or personal storage container they bring.

The directive applies where the item is reasonably sized, safe and does not threaten the health, safety or welfare of other students.

“All students admitted to boarding accommodation should be treated fairly and accommodated without discrimination based on their economic circumstances or the ability of their parents or guardians to purchase particular brands or types of personal effects,” the letter said.

The GES did not identify the schools involved or disclose how many students had reportedly been affected.

It directed that any complaint involving a student who is turned away or denied accommodation solely because of a storage container must be investigated and reported to the management of the service.

The directive was signed by the Deputy Director-General in charge of Management Services, Prof Smile Dzisi, on behalf of the Director-General.

The GES warned that any head of a senior high or senior high technical school who disregards the order would be dealt with under the applicable standards, regulations and laws of the service.

The intervention comes as newly admitted students and their families prepare for school with institution-specific prospectuses that may include requirements covering personal belongings and boarding supplies.

Under the directive, schools may still object to a container if its size or condition presents a genuine safety or welfare risk. They cannot, however, reject a student merely because the family selected a particular type or brand of container.

Parents or guardians affected by such a decision can report the case for investigation, although the letter does not specify the particular office or complaint channel they should use.