SHS matrons cry out over unpaid feeding grant

The National Association of Domestic Bursars and Matrons has said that the untimely release of feeding grants by the government often affects planning, budgeting and implementation of its activities at the senior high schools.

Speaking at its 6th biennial conference and workshop in Cape Coast in the Central Region, the outgoing president of the association, Mrs. Lydia M.B. Millar, stated that a communiqué had already been sent to the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) for his consideration.

Mrs. Millar therefore appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to dialogue with the appropriate authorities to release the funds on time.

She mentioned some of the challenges confronting the association as the unilateral discretion by heads of some second cycle schools in fixing rations per student, continuous employment of illiterate cooks by cost center managers in the service, upgrading and promotion of long-serving chief cooks to the rank of matrons as well as non-transfer of cooks and pantry heads who have been at post for long and in most cases, become inactive, lazy and had badly influenced others.

The Director General of the GES, Jacob Kor, hinted that his outfit and the Ministry of Education had stipulated the requisite qualification for the recruitment of domestic bursars.

The Central Regional Minister, Kweku Ricketts Hagan, who spoke on the theme, “Promoting Quality Education Through Feeding – The Role Of The Domestic Bursars and Matrons,” stressed the need for matrons to provide students with nutritious meals that do not only make students healthy, but also have a powerful influence on their learning and how they can perform.

Mr Ricketts Hagan said the development of quality human capital is paramount to the development of the country.

“Education is the bedrock of the socio-economic development of every nation and therefore, I charge them to discharge their duties effectively to boost the educational sector of the country” he added.