Association International School sued by 2 former students
In a human rights action, the applicants suing per their mother, note that after making an initial payment of GHC 100,000, they later decided to settle the remaining amount but only to be told by the school that the balance had ballooned due to the cedi depreciation.
Sewenam Avle and Selikem Avle, two former students of the Association International School at Accra have sued the school for its refusal to release to them their transcripts pending the payment of their outstanding fees.
In a human rights action, the applicants suing per their mother, note that after making an initial payment of GHC 100,000 out of the total fee amount of GHC 141, 560, they later decided to settle the remaining amount but only to be told by the school that the balance of GHC41, 560 as they know, had ballooned to GHC111, 709 due to the cedi depreciation.
They add that upon their rejection and disagreement with the said amount, they were told by the school to stay at home until they settle the above amount which order they see as embarrassing and humiliating.
After this, their mother, Nana Akua Hayford Avle sought to find a new school for the kids but needed their transcript to complete the admission process.
As a result, they requested a copy of their transcripts from the AIS but the latter failed to accede to this request without giving them any compelling reasons to justify the same.
They are therefore asking from the court inter alia a declaration that the school’s decision to withhold their transcript is a violation of their fundamental human right.
Also, they want a declaration that the school’s interference with their right to education based on fees owed has no lawful basis.
Furthermore, an order was directed at the school to immediately release their transcripts and pull down their pictures from its website.
Respondent’s case
The School has meanwhile responded, noting that unless the applicant could meet its terms and conditions set for them, it has no constitutional mandate as a limited company to provide them the avenue to realize their dream.
It also says that at the start of the academic year, the applicant’s mother was made to sign a re-emolument contract to abide by the terms and conditions however she noted that per the current economic conditions, the children are not returning to the school.
Further to this, the AIS states that per its policy, any student who leaves the school owing school fees is denied access to its platform adding that the fact that the applicants owe an amount of $18,382.57 does not accord with good conscience and sound reasoning for them to enjoy its facilities.
Additionally, the school asserts insists that until the applicants had settled the outstanding fees owed them, it could not be compelled to give them their transcripts.
