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Calls for early release of funds to schools

Heads of second-cycle institutions in the country have called for the early and prompt release of funds to ensure better planning and execution of programmes.

The funds include subsidies capitation  and feeding grants.

“The government must, as a matter of priority, release funds due our schools and education offices promptly for better planning and execution of programmes,” they said.

Funds thus released must be judiciously used and properly accounted for by spending officers.

This was contained in a communique issued during the 51st annual conference of CHASS at the Oyoko Methodist Senior High School in Koforidua in the Eastern Region.

The communique was signed by the Administrator of the National CHASS Secretariat, Mr Moses K. Ocloo.

“In order to regenerate as a nation, there is the urgent need for a stakeholders’ interaction session to clearly identify and adopt a national value system which must be consciously incorporated into and transmitted throughout the entire educational process,” it said.

The communique said policies on education must neither be hurriedly pushed through nor be made political manifestoes, adding that they must be thoroughly discussed by a policy institute with inputs from all stakeholders.

All practitioners in the education enterprise, it said, should be well versed in all educational policies, adopt best practices in implementing them and exhibit high levels of integrity at all times.

CHASS also called for the upgrading of existing senior high schools with inadequate facilities, since schools with inadequate facilities had made teaching and learning a drudgery.

“Making senior high school education easily accessible to all those who are eligible is a step in the right direction; however, existing schools with inadequate facilities which make teaching and learning a drudgery must be seriously considered for upgrading,” it said.

The communique said in fixing of fees and release of funds for education, “one equally important consideration should be the welfare and holistic development of the learner”, and that “he or she should be reasonably fed, provided with adequate learning materials and appropriately clothed”.

The communique charged the legislature to revisit aspects of the public procurement and value added tax laws which were related to pre-tertiary institutions because of fixed fees and subsidies which in most cases did not match the economic realities of the day.

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