CHASS urges parents to provide food for their wards as feeding challenges worsen

The Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS) has asked parents and guardians to assist with the feeding challenges in senior high schools.

The National Secretary of CHASS, Primus Baro, explained that the situation in high schools is difficult, as many institutions are having to ration food.

He encouraged parents to support their children with food items for use at school to complement the government's efforts.

Primus Baro made these remarks during an interview on JoyNews, on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

"I encourage parents, and I have already advised my PTA to this effect, to let their children bring food like gari, shitor, and sugar to supplement whatever the school provides. I urge parents across the country, as the food situation has still not improved in the past two and three years, and it has worsened at this particular time," he noted.

Primus Baro stated that the situation is particularly dire in schools in northern Ghana.

"Food supplies are not reaching the schools. In places like Upper West, Upper East, and the Northern regions, apart from rice, the schools have no stable food supplies. Oil is completely unavailable. For example, in my school, I currently don't have a single drop of oil, so my matron has been using margarine to replace oil for cooking. I don't have maize or beans—only rice and some gari.

"We are still relying on the old practices of sending students with what they have, and that’s the only reason we allowed the students to return. Otherwise, the situation is still far from ideal," he noted.

CHASS had earlier appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to reconsider the reopening of high schools, citing unresolved financial issues, including the government's non-payment for perishable foods provided for students last year, but the GES rejected the appeal.

The Free Senior High School (SHS) program was initiated by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government to improve access to senior high school education.

However, it has faced numerous challenges over the years, including insufficient classroom and dormitory facilities and inadequate food.

The NDC government has promised to revitalise the programme, aligning with the commitments made during the election campaign.

Instead of abolishing it, the administration aims to strengthen its implementation, ensuring it achieves its intended objectives.

JKB/AE

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