CHASS Urges Government To Settle All Financial Obligations Or Face Nationwide School Closures

• The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) said the government must settle all outstanding debts before it can reopen
• It noted that while the government has released some funds, there are still critical funds yet to be released
• In a letter to the Education Ministry, it listed some of these areas that need funding, including money for utility bills

The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has urged the Education Ministry to delay the reopening of schools set for January 3, 2025.

According to CHASS, schools should open only after the government has settled all outstanding financial obligations to them and their suppliers.

In a letter to the Education Ministry, CHASS said the persistent financial challenges schools face are caused by the government’s failure to settle its debts.

It warned that if the government fails to settle the debt, the schools could not reopen on January 3, 2025, as scheduled.

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CHASS admitted that while the government has disbursed some funds, these have failed to resolve the most critical issues: the unpaid recurrent funds owed to the schools, the outstanding arrears for perishable food items and the funds to transport food supplies from distribution centres to schools.

CHASS added that excluding single-track and day schools from the recent funding allocation and the unpaid utility bills threatening essential services remain unresolved.

Thus, CHASS called on the government to immediately release these critical funds to address schools' pressing challenges.

It warned that if the government fails to release the funds, it will undermine the quality of education in schools nationwide.

Education Ministry threatens to close non-performing schools

YEN.com.gh reported that the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has threatened to close second-cycle institutions that are failing to live up to expectations.

On March 11 and 12, he told the heads of secondary and vocational schools in Kumasi that they must roll out intervention programmes to improve their pass rates, especially if they are in the 0% to 10% region.

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He said if a school is closed, affected students would be redistributed to nearby schools to continue.

Source: YEN.com.gh