NORPRA urges MPs to use common fund to pay SHS feeding grants

The Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy, NORPRA, an advocacy group has expressed dissatisfaction at government’s failure to release feeding grants to the second cycle schools across Northern Ghana.

NORPRA said the late release of feeding grants to beneficiary schools has over the years disrupted the academic calendar and has to a large extent affected the overall educational standards in the north.

In a release signed and copied to Radio Ghana in Bolgatanga, NORPRA wonders why successive governments have over the years failed to find a lasting solution to the problem of late release of feeding grants to schools regardless of the implications.

As an interim measure to get the schools re-opened, NORPRA is appealing to all northern MPs to demonstrate true leadership by devoting their share of the common fund and other public resources at their disposal to pay for the feeding grants for the 84 senior high schools.

As part of long term measures to deal with the recurrent problem of feeding grants not being released, NORPRA is proposing introduction of state farms in northern Ghana that will produce enough food to feed the schools at affordable prices instead of relying on suppliers who often sell at relatively higher prices.

It said the economic conditions of northern Ghana necessitated the introduction of the feeding grants.

For this reason, it has become imperative to give practical meaning to the policy considering the increasing number of senior high schools.

NORPRA is therefore calling for the review of the policy and is also urging government to save the situation before it gets out of hand.

Meanwhile, there will be a crunch meeting involving executives of CHASS and the Regional Director of Education, Emmanuel Zumakpeh, to chart the way forward in solving the problem.

The former Regional Chairman of CHASS, Thomas Tangonyire, who confirmed this to Radio Ghana said efforts are being made to engage government on the matter and was hopeful that there will be a headway.