GES orders SHSs not to turn away students over metal trunks, wooden chop boxes

Josephine Amuzu 09:09 - 19 September 2026

GES directs SHSs and SHTSs not to deny boarding students accommodation over metal trunks, wooden chop boxes or storage containers.

GES says SHSs/SHTSs must not deny duly admitted boarding students accommodation solely because of their trunks or chop boxes.
Schools can enforce reasonable size and safety requirements for students' storage containers.
Heads who flout the directive may face disciplinary action.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTSs) not to turn away newly admitted students or deny them boarding accommodation because they report with metal trunks, wooden chop boxes or other personal storage containers.

The directive follows reports received by GES management that some schools were refusing to accommodate students based on the type of storage containers they brought to school.

According to the GES, such practices could place additional financial pressure on parents and guardians who may be unable to afford alternative containers prescribed by individual schools.

In a directive to Regional Directors, the Service instructed them to inform heads of schools to ensure that duly admitted boarding students are treated fairly, regardless of their economic circumstances or their parents' ability to purchase particular brands or types of personal effects.

The GES said schools should desist from turning away, refusing admission or denying accommodation to students solely because of the type of trunk, chop box or personal storage container they bring to school.

However, the Service noted that the items must be reasonably sized, safe and must not pose a risk to the health, safety or welfare of other students.

The directive therefore does not prevent schools from enforcing legitimate safety or accommodation requirements. Rather, it seeks to ensure that a student's inability to purchase a particular type of storage container does not become a reason for denying them boarding accommodation.

GES has also directed that any reported case involving a duly admitted student being denied accommodation or turned away solely because of the type of trunk or chop box brought to school should be investigated and reported to management.

Heads of SHSs and SHTSs who fail to comply with the directive could face disciplinary action under the applicable standards, regulations and laws of the Service.

The directive comes as parents and newly admitted students prepare for the reopening of schools and purchase items required for boarding accommodation.

It effectively means that parents who have already purchased a reasonably sized metal trunk, wooden chop box or another suitable storage container should not have to replace it simply because a school prefers a particular type or brand, provided the item meets legitimate health and safety requirements.

The GES has urged Regional Directors and school heads to cooperate in implementing the directive and ensure that duly admitted students are not disadvantaged because of the type of storage container they can afford.