Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr Paul Amoasi Baidoo, Chairman, Greater Accra Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), says the schools are receiving their outstanding bursaries from the Government to cater for their recurrent expenses, including perishables.
Mr Amoasi, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Wednesday, said the funds were to cater for the two months arrears for the first semester from January to February 2022 for the schools’ operational expenses for the form two and three students.
“Some schools have received their money, including the day schools. As at yesterday I received information that some of the day and boarding schools have received their monies, but I am not privy to the amount,” he said.
Mr Amoasi, who is also Headmaster of St Thomas Aquinas Senior High School, commended the Government for responding to their concerns, stressing that the interventions would help enhance effective teaching and learning in the schools.
Touching on foodstuffs, Mr Baidoo said some schools had received their foodstuffs while others would receive theirs in the coming days.
He said, “I am still compiling the list of schools that have received their foodstuffs and bursaries to forward them to the Regional Director of CHASS.”
The CHASS’ National Executive Council had resolved not to reopen schools from January 5, should the Government through the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service fail to honour all outstanding bursaries and food supplies to the schools by December 31, 2021.
The Government through the National Buffer Stock Company Limited on January 5, 2022, started the distribution of limited foodstuffs to SHS across the country.
The nationwide food distribution was in fulfilment of a promise made by Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, during a meeting with the leadership of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools on December 28, 2021, in Kumasi.
The leadership of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) at a press conference on February 17, 2022, highlighted some of the challenges, including the non-payment of bursaries for the SHSs.
Mr Kwasi Kwarteng, the Spokesperson, Ministry of Education in a statement in response to NAGRAT’s concerns, said the Government had disbursed a total of GHC133,950,053.00 to the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited and the Ghana Education Service to carter for the non-payment of recurrent fees, perishables and pressing needs of the schools.
The Ministry of Education since January 2021, had released a total of ¢316,402,165.00 to the National Food Buffer Stock Company and Heads of Senior High Schools for the payment of food items for the School Feeding Programme.
For More News And Analysis About Ghana Follow Africa-Press
