Government releases feeding grant to schools in the North

Government assisted senior high schools (SHSs) and technical  and vocational institutes in the three northern regions have reopened, following the release of the feeding grant by the government to the schools.

A visit to some of the schools by the Daily Graphic  yesterday showed that the students had arrived and were ready to begin academic work. Serious academic work would begin next week by which time the current West African Senior Secondary Certification Examination (WASSCE) candidates would have finished with their examinations.

The reopening of SHSs, technical and vocational schools in the three regions were postponed from April 20, 2015 to April 27 following delays in the release of the feeding grant to the schools in the three regions by the government.

Some of the students who spoke to the Daily Graphic during the visit said they reported last week Monday, April 27,2015 but serious academic work was yet to resume following the ongoing WASSCE.

Heads of some of the schools also confirmed the receipt of the feeding grant released to them by the government when contacted.

Confirmation
The Northern Regional Director of Education, Alhaji Mohammed Haroun, when contacted, confirmed the release of the feeding grant to the schools in the three northern regions.

He added that monies covering the feeding grant had been paid into the various accounts of the schools.

Alhaji Haroun could not give the total amount that was released by the government to cover the feeding grant for the schools.

" As I am talking to you now, the government has released the funds to cover the feeding grant for each school and teaching has begun in the schools", he stated.

The Northern Regional Chairman of the Conference of heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS)  and Headmaster of Tamale SHS (TAMASCO), Alhaji T. A. Mahama, also confirmed the release of the feeding grant to the schools in the three northern regions.

Background
The delay in the release of the feeding grant to the schools in the three northern regions has been a perennial problem.

In the early part of 2014, 83 SHSs in the three regions in the north had to reopen partially by admitting only final-year students due to the non-payment of the feeding grant owed them by the government.

In an effort to enhance access to education in the northern sector, governments over the years have been paying the feeding grant for the schools in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West regions and some selected schools in the Northern part of the Volta regions and  Brong Ahafo.

This is different from the subsidy which is enjoyed by all SHSs, technical and vocational institutes in the country.

It would be recalled that the Daily Graphic  issue of Tuesday, April 2, 2015 published a story  headlined " Reopening of SHSs in 3 northern regions delayed".

The story said "the reopening date for senior high schools (SHSs) technical and vocational institutes in the three northern regions has been postponed as a result of the delay in the release of feeding grant to the schools by the government".