Government Releases Over GHS125 Million For Feeding Of SHS Students

The government through the Ministry of Education has released an amount of GHS125,998,145 for feeding of students in public Senior High Schools nationwide. This was also contained in a press statement issued by the Ministry of Education and signed by its Chief Director, Mr. Benjamin Kofi Gyasi. According to the Ministry, part

of the amount was released to Buffer Stock Company, and the remaining sent to the headmasters of Senior High Schools to also enable them purchase perishable components of foodstuff needed for the feeding of the students. The government through the Ministry of the Education on 14th May, 2021, released GHS125,998,145

of which GHS83,184,673 also went to the Buffer Stock Company, with GHS42,813,472 going to headmasters of the SHS for the payment of perishable components of feeding to schools. The statement further explained that this payment follows an initial payment made to the Buffer Stock Company and the headmasters for

perishable foods for the first semester. This follows payments made on the 28th April 2021, when a total of GHS102,350,871.20 was also paid to the Buffer Stock Company and headmasters (for perishable) for the 1st semester. The Ministry however rejected the claims that the Free Senior High School initiative is under stress.

The Ministry is therefore assuring all parents and other stakeholders also once again that the Free Senior High School (FSHS) initiative is not under the stress as was being peddled around by some for reasons best known to them. The Teachers and Educational Workers Union TEWU had also early on complained about the delay in

releasing the funds to the schools. National Chairman of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union TEWU, Ambrose Kwadzodza in an interview said the situation was so dire that some school heads also resorted to crediting food items in order to feed their students. For some time now the report reaching me from all over the

country is that many schools are all suffering as far as funds are concerned. I was told specifically that there are also schools that have credited way back about two months without paying for the various items they have credited from those creditors, and once they don’t have the money to credit from these creditors, it will also be very difficult for them to get another supply to feed the children.