The Conference of Heads of Basic Schools has expressed concern over the non-payment of capitation grants for the past two years, which is affecting teaching and learning in schools.
The General Secretary of the conference, Justice Adu Darko, stated that no funds have been received for 2021, 2022, and 2023, and the last payment was made in 2019/2020.
The amount of the grant is also considered inadequate, and those who rely solely on it are suffering.
The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service has acknowledged the issue and promised to ensure that the grants are released on time.
However, the Ministry of Education reported that GH¢11 million has been released to schools as of November 2022.
Dr. Clement Apaak, the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, has warned that the delay in payment is adversely affecting the public basic school system, and the government must take action to address the issue.
The capitation grant is used by school heads to procure essential supplies such as chalk, registers, and to carry out basic maintenance work.
The delay in payment forces them to borrow money or take out loans, which ultimately contributes to the collapse of the public basic school system.
Kofi Asare, the Executive Secretary of Africa Education Watch, has also called on the Ministry of Finance to release the full amount of the grant to schools.
He expressed skepticism about any improvements in the situation, as the Ministry of Finance has not been releasing the necessary funds to the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service.
He also noted that the government has reduced the grants in recent years, with less than 20% of the allocated funds disbursed for 2023.
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