The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secordary Schools, (CHASS) is worried about the impression created by the Kwasi Kwarteng, the PRO for the Ministry of Education in a recent statement.
In the said statement, Mr. Kwarteng, spokesperson of the Minister of Education indicated that the Goverment has released amount of GHC126,000,000.00 covering perishable food its and recurring expenditure to all Senior High and TVET schools in the country.
While admitting that the said amount was infact paid for the stated amount, CHASS was quick to state that the amount does very little to address the arrears owed the schools. CHASS made these clarifications in a statement of their own.
“CHASS wants to affirm that, in the past four weeks some monies have indeed been released by the Ministry to the schools. The releases reformed to in above were truly in respect of some perishables and recurrent expenditure. However, CHASS has issues with the statement assurring the public of the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring the timely supply of adequate and quality food items all second cycle institutions. CHASS therefore wants to reiterate the following facts which it had always brought to the fore but which unfortunately, had never be given the needed attention they deserve.”
“The releases referred to in the above press release cannot be said to be adequate and timely. This is because schools had operated and continue to operate in huge arrears. For quite a while time now, schools reopen with virtually empty accounts and empty stores. Please note the picture of the monies paid/not paid to school in respect of perishables for the 2022 academic year as spelt below.”
“Form One Batch: only 36.2% paid and 63.8% in arrears. Form Two Batch: 0% paid and 100% in arrears. Form Three Batch: 51% paid, 49% in arrears. (Take note, these students have already completed and left).”
CHASS went on to say that for the recurrent expenditure released, the government owes Form 1 and Form 2 classes for the second semseter of the 2021 academic year. Also, the government owes 100 percent arrears for Form 1 and Form 2 classes for the whole of the 2022 academic year.
Only 50 percent of the arrears for the Form 3 students who have completed have been cleared as well.
The situation, according to CHASS, has forced some suppliers to refuse to supply to a number of schools across the country.
When Rrchard Akumbasi, the Upper East Regional Chairman of CHASS spoke to A1 Radio, he said the situation is dire in the region and called on the government’s urgent intervention.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
