Students’ of various Senior High Schools in the Upper East Region will have to stay home until their feeding grants are paid by government for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Students’ of Senior High Schools in the region on Friday 10th June 2016 had to go on mid-terms to enable basic schools write the Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) from the 13th to 17th June, 2016 but were told by school authorities to monitor radio announcement for when to report to their respective schools.
[contextly_sidebar id=”p3bzDqxE97OAx7vfu8v1E8NlIX63FIcB”]Though the Upper East Regional Director of Education, Jane Sabina Obeng and the Chairperson of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) Francisca Yinzura declined to comment.
Some head teachers of some schools in the region said they could no longer feed the students due to government indebtedness.
Some head teachers who spoke off record to Citi News said, after government released feeding grants for the third term of 2014-2015 academic year, arrears for first, second and third terms of 2015-2016 have not been paid after several complains made to government.
Also, nothing has been paid by government for the feeding of all first year students in the secondary schools in the region.
The head teachers’ stressed that, they owe their suppliers’ so much that, the suppliers are not willing to supply them any longer until they settle their debts and if government does not pay its debt to the schools after June17, students cannot be called back to school.
Assisted SHSs delay reopening
Second cycle schools in the Upper East Region delayed reopening on April 18, 2016 due to the usual non-payment of feeding grants and boarding fees for three terms.
The Upper East Regional Director of Education, Madam Janet Kawia had told Citi News that their indebtedness to suppliers is so huge that they are not willing to supply them, hence the uncertainty over when they will reopen.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana