Last week, the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools warned of a potential shutdown of Senior High Schools (SHSs) in Ghana due to unresolved funding challenges in procuring perishable goods for second-cycle schools nationwide.

This comes after the association’s meeting with the Education Minister on Friday ended in a stalemate after stakeholders failed to reach an agreement on what measures could be taken to address a worsening food-supply crisis in schools.

However, during an appearance on JoyNews Desk, the National Secretary of CHASS, Primus Baro, clarified that schools across the country have sufficient food stock to feed students, but are facing challenges due to a lack of funding for perishable items.

He continued that his outfit’s concern isn’t with food shortage but the delays in financial support for essential perishable supplies. The Secretary revealed that these items have been in areas for over seven (7) months now, forcing them to engage the appropriate authorities to ensure students enjoy balanced and nutritious meals.

His remarks come just a few days after the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools meeting with the Ghana Education Service and key stakeholders, including the Ghana Education Trust Fund and the National Food Buffer Stock Company. He emphasised the need for the government to urgently release funds to address the backlog and ensure smooth feeding operations in schools.

What happened at CHASS meeting with Edu Ministry

The meeting saw the attendance of stakeholders such as CHASS, the National Food Buffer Stock Company, and the GETFund, with a focus on procurement of perishable food items such as vegetables, meat, and eggs, which have become difficult to source due to delays in funding.

In an effort to resolve the issue, the minister proposed that GETFund maintain an arrangement allowing CHASS to independently procure perishable items. However, the parties were unable to reach a consensus.

The deadlock follows a formal petition by CHASS and the Conference of Principals of Technical Institutions (COPTI), who have raised concerns over dwindling supplies from the National Food Buffer Stock Company and the impact of inflation on already constrained school budgets.

Consequently, CHASS warned that failure by the government to provide immediate funding for the procurement of essential food supplies may compel schools to send students home, warning that such a move may disrupt the academic calendar and preparations for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Headteachers have reportedly resorted to using personal funds and relying on credit from local suppliers to ensure students continue to receive meals.

With negotiations stalled, concerns are growing over the sustainability of the programme’s feeding component, which supports more than 1.2 million students nationwide.

Stakeholders are expected to reconvene in the coming days as efforts continue to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

About the Free SHS policy

The Free Senior High School policy was introduced in 2017 by the Akufo-Addo-led government to make secondary education accessible to all eligible students without financial barriers.

The policy was aimed at helping students who struggled to pay tuition, boarding, and other school-related expenses. However, the policy came with its challenges, such as overcrowding and congestion in schools, pressure on infrastructure and facilities, and increased pressure on teachers.

This increased the number of enrollments in the senior high schools that were listed under the Free SHS policy. About 3.5 million students have benefited from the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) program since its launch.

The immediate-past government revealed that it had spent over GH¢12 billion on the implementation of the Free SHS policy since its inception. Meanwhile, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has urged a reassessment of Ghana’s Free SHS initiative, recommending that households with sufficient means contribute financially so that government support can be directed toward students in real need.

During a meeting with Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, the Asantehene suggested a shared funding model, akin to previous arrangements where financial aid was granted to bright but disadvantaged students, while those with the ability to pay covered their own expenses.

“Those who can afford to pay, let’s have a second look at the policy. If someone can afford it, let’s allow them to pay. In the old times, when you passed, the bursary would look for good but needy students and award them scholarships, and those who could afford to pay did so.”

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has recognised the positive impact of the Free SHS policy but stressed the importance of a national discussion to tackle its shortcomings and secure its future.

“This Free SHS we are talking about, although we have implemented it, if we have a dialogue and find out that it will result in students coming home now and then because there is no food, then it is not fit for purpose.”

He also pointed out several pressing concerns affecting secondary schools, including overcrowded dormitories, a lack of well-equipped science and ICT laboratories, irregular food supplies, and insufficient school buses.

“Our dormitories are overcrowded and lack science and ICT labs. Sometimes, PTA makes contributions to support. The lack of school buses and the shortage of food should all be looked at. Let us implement it well so that students will stay in school and have enough to eat.”