[ 2016-07-21 ]

CHASS hints of SHS shutdown for next academic year over unpaid subsidies
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary
Schools (CHASS) has threatened to close down
Senior High Schools (SHS) nationwide for the
2016/2017 academic year, following government's
reluctance to pay subsidies.

The Conference revealed high schools across the
country are currently struggling to manage their
affairs because government delayed payments of
subsidies – including feeding fee, and other
grants – to schools.

Addressing journalists in Accra Wednesday,
President of CHASS, Cecilia Kwakye Coffie, called
on the appropriate stakeholders to expedite action
on their concerns.

“Some of the pressing challenges are unpaid
absorbed fees and feeding grants, unpaid Ghana
government scholarships, unpaid progressively free
scholarship, inadequate feeding fees of GHC 3.30
per student per day for 3 meals, high electricity,
water and telephone bills, high expenditure on
sanitation and fumigation due to bed bugs
infestation in schools, non-payment of GOG grant
for administration since 2011, and no replacement
of retired teaching and non-teaching staff,” he
said.

He added, “the absorbed fees for 2nd and 3rd
term for 2015/2016 academic year have not been
paid. The feeding grants for the three (3)
Northern Region schools, Northern Volta and
Northern Brong Ahafo are also for 2nd and 3rd
term, and this has brought serious problems to
schools as students are fed on credit and heads of
institutions are being harassed by their
creditors.

“The progressively free scholarship for 2nd and
3rd terms of the 2015/2016 academic year has not
been paid. The Ghana government scholarship to
beneficiary students has not been paid for the
whole year i.e. 2015/2016 academic year”.

“The feeding fee of GHC 3.30 per student per day
for 3 meals is woefully inadequate. There is a tax
component of 17.5% vat and 3% withholding tax.
This has resulted in huge debts in schools. The
feeding fee should be increased since price of
goods and service have gone up drastically since
2014 when the fees were fixed e.g. the price of
gari has shot up from GHC 2.40 to GHC 10.00 per
American tin (olonka)”

According to CHASS, the utility fees paid are
unable to meet the huge electricity and water
bills.

“We want the electricity fee to be separated
from the water fee and both should be appreciably
increased to meet the bills from Electricity
Company of Ghana and Ghana Water Company. There is
high expenditure on sanitation which includes
dislodging of solid and liquid waste. Fumigation
cost, as a result of bed bugs infestation in
school is just too high. The sanitation fees are
part of the absorbed fees which have not been paid
for 2nd and 3rd terms”.

“In the light of the above, we are appealing to
the hon. Minister of education, GES and GES
management to expedite action on the concern
raised. Otherwise the schools cannot re-open for
the 2016/2017 academic year”.

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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