The Upper East branch of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has hinted that efforts Senior High Schools in the region may be forced to ask students to bring their own furniture to school for study.
According to the association, since the introduction of the Free Senior High Schools, the government has failed to meet the furniture needs of the students despite numerous appeals.
The situation, CHASS says, has affected teaching and learning hence the call for parents and students to begin bringing their own chairs next academic year for studies.
Richard Akumbasi, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary School, made the revelation to the media through a press statement added that the calls only aimed to promote effective teaching and learning at various schools.
“Most of the schools in the region have not received furniture from the Ghana Education Service since the inception of the Free Senior High School policy. PTAs which were procuring furniture for schools have since not been able to do so due to the new directives for the operation of PTAs. Heads in the various schools in the Region do not have sufficient furniture for the students to sit and learn, a situation that does not promote effective teaching and learning. As we stand now, the only way forward is to ask parents and students to begin bringing their own furniture soon, probably next academic year.”
He stressed further that aside from the furniture deficit, the unavailability of funds to run the schools span much greater threats to school heads than one could ever imagine.
“For the past year, no money has been released to the Boarding schools for recurrent expenditure. This has compelled the schools to accumulate huge debts. The creditors are no longer prepared to supply anything on credit to the schools. Schools cannot run their school vehicles due to huge bills at the filling stations. Funds for perishables are released in bits to the schools making it difficult for the schools to plan properly. Such releases are also very erratic such that after one release, the schools are unable to tell when again the next release will be made, making any form of planning a near impossibility.”
He, however, said the only hope for them as well as the government was not to get there.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
