The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools\u00a0(CHASS) is threatening to close down Senior High Schools (SHS) nationwide for the 2016\/2017 academic year, following government\u2019s delay in paying subsidies.<\/p>\n
CHASS says it is struggling to effectively manage the affairs of Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country due to the delay in the payment of subsidies to schools.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”bSBo5SCPVLRQBql17P63BVX1XbCoSIeE”]Addressing journalists in Accra today [Wednesday], President of CHASS, Cecilia Kwakye Coffie, called on the appropriate stakeholders to expedite action on their concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the pressing challenges are unpaid absorbed fees and feeding grants, unpaid Ghana government scholarships, unpaid progressively free scholarship, inadequate feeding fees of GHC 3.30 per student per day for 3 meals, high electricity, water and telephone bills, high expenditure on sanitation and fumigation due to bed bugs infestation in schools, non-payment of GOG grant for administration since 2011, and no replacement of retired teaching and non-teaching staff\u201d.<\/p>\n
She added that \u201cthe absorbed fees for 2nd and 3rd term for 2015\/2016 academic year have not been paid.<\/p>\n
The feeding grants for the three (3) Northern Region schools, Northern Volta and Northern Brong Ahafo are also for 2nd and 3rd term, and this has brought serious problems to schools as students are fed on credit and heads of institutions are being harassed by their creditors\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe progressively free scholarship for 2nd and 3rd terms of the 2015\/2016 academic year has not been paid.\u00a0The Ghana government scholarship to beneficiary students has not been paid for the whole year i.e. 2015\/2016 academic year\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe feeding fee of GHC 3.30 per student per day for 3 meals is woefully inadequate. There is a tax component of 17.5% vat and 3% withholding tax. This has resulted in huge debts in schools. The feeding fee should be increased since price of goods and service have gone up drastically since 2014 when the fees were fixed e.g. the price of gari has shot up from GHC 2.40 to GHC 10.00 per American tin (olonka)\u201d<\/p>\n
According to CHASS, the utility fees paid are unable to meet the huge electricity and water bills.<\/p>\n
“We want the electricity fee to be separated from the water fee and both should be appreciably increased to meet the bills from Electricity Company of Ghana and Ghana Water Company.\u00a0There is high expenditure on sanitation which includes dislodging of solid and liquid waste. Fumigation cost, as a result of bed bugs infestation in school is just too high. The sanitation fees are part of the absorbed fees which have not been paid for 2nd and 3rd terms\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the light of the above, we are appealing to the hon. Minister of education, GES and GES management to expedite action on the concern raised. Otherwise the schools cannot re-open for the 2016\/2017 academic year\u201d.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
By: Philip Nii Lartey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools\u00a0(CHASS) is threatening to close down Senior High Schools (SHS) nationwide for the 2016\/2017 academic year, following government\u2019s delay in paying subsidies. CHASS says it is struggling to effectively manage the affairs of Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country due to the delay in the payment of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":232827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,10,11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n