By Michael Foli Jackidy
Ho (V/R), Oct. 15, GNA – Reverend Father Stephen Owusu Sekyere, National President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), has called on the government to urgently settle outstanding financial obligations to senior high schools to ease operational challenges and improve the delivery of education.
He said although some recurrent expenses had been partially settled, the examination fee component for the 2025/2026 academic year remained outstanding and should be released without further delay.
Speaking at the 64th Annual National Conference of CHASS in Ho, Rev Fr Sekyere said schools spent at least GHS40 per student, excluding practical examinations, to conduct standard examinations.
He said delays in releasing the already inadequate examination fees placed heads of schools under intense pressure.
The CHASS President also called for the settlement of outstanding perishable food and recurrent expenditure arrears covering the 2021 to 2025 academic years.
He said several payments remained outstanding for both transition and single-track schools, while some schools had received only partial payments.
On the 2022 and 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) practical fees, he said only 50 per cent of the outstanding amounts had been paid.
Rev Fr Sekyere further appealed for the release of funds for food items procured to feed students between November and December 2025.
He said the emergency procurement was undertaken following an authorisation letter from the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), adding that CHASS had submitted the required procurement documents and was awaiting payment.
He urged the government to increase the per-student allocation for perishable food items and other recurrent expenses, saying the existing rates no longer reflected prevailing market conditions.
The CHASS President also called for an urgent waiver of the 20 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed on the procurement of perishable food items and other essential academic materials.
He said the tax burden further reduced the already inadequate funds available to schools.
On food procurement, Rev Fr Sekyere appealed for clear policy directives on when heads of schools would be permitted to procure locally 40 per cent of essential food items, as originally proposed, to ensure the effective feeding of students.
He also expressed concern about what he described as a deteriorating security situation in schools, noting that security personnel were on partial industrial action and did not report for duty during weekends.
He said the situation, coupled with inadequate security personnel in schools, posed a threat to the safety of students, staff and school property.
He urged the GES to resolve the impasse with the security personnel urgently.
Rev Fr Sekyere further called for a shift from the traditional watchman system to the deployment of properly trained, equipped and professional security personnel to address emerging security challenges in schools.
He said resolving the financial, procurement and security concerns would improve school administration and enable heads to concentrate on their core responsibility of providing quality education and nurturing responsible future leaders.
GNA
Edited By: Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade