The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTSs) not to turn away duly admitted boarding students or deny them accommodation solely because they report to school with metal trunks, wooden chop boxes or other personal storage containers.
The directive follows reports received by the GES that some schools were refusing to accommodate newly admitted students because they had arrived with metal trunks, wooden chop boxes or other storage containers deemed unacceptable by the schools.
In a directive to Regional Directors dated September 18, 2026, the GES said such practices could impose unnecessary financial burdens on parents and guardians who may be unable to afford alternative storage containers prescribed by individual schools.
The Service stressed that all students admitted to boarding accommodation should be treated fairly and accommodated without discrimination based on their economic circumstances or their parents’ or guardians’ ability to purchase particular brands or types of personal effects.
The GES has therefore instructed Regional Directors to ensure that heads of schools desist from turning away, refusing admission or denying accommodation to duly admitted students solely because of the type of trunk, chop box or personal storage container they bring to school.
However, the Service said the storage item must be reasonably sized, safe and must not pose a risk to the health, safety or welfare of other students.
The GES further directed that any reported case involving a duly admitted student being denied accommodation or turned away solely because of the type of storage container brought to school must be investigated and reported to Management.
It warned that any Head of SHS or SHTS who flouts the directive would be dealt with in accordance with the applicable standards, regulations and laws of the Service.
