Source: newsthemegh.com
The Minority in Parliament has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to give the order telling Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to quickly distribute the arrears of capitation money to public basic schools.
The Caucus claimed that the situation with the grant’s untimely distributions to basic schools has gotten serious and is gradually choking their day-to-day operations.
According to the Minority, the government owes the capitation grant more than GH 106 million, and the finance minister is doing nothing to actually pay it out.
Clement Apaak, a member of the Education Committee and the member of Parliament for Builsa South, spoke to the media about the issue and revealed that while the 2022 Budget included GH 60 million for capitation grant, the government only distributed GH 15 million, leaving GH 45 million in arrears.
He claims that although GH60 million in capitation grant requests for 2023 were filed, the administration only presented GH11 million to Parliament for approval.
He said, “So ideally, the government should be making available to the basic education capitation grant in excess of GH¢106 million but that is not happening and the request is not being met.”
“The monies that ought to go to these schools so they can function properly are not going. This is why these days you don’t hear of basic schools undertaking activities like cultural and sports activities.”
Hon. Apaak claimed that assertions that President Akufo-Addo has unmatched accomplishments in the field of education are outright lies.
He pointed out that it is exceedingly naive to believe that a government has done more for education than any other administration when it is unable to provide the resources required for the fundamental sector, which serves as the nation’s educational foundation.
“You owe capitation grant in excess of two years. Headmasters are compelled to borrow money to keep the system going and because of that many parents are disillusioned and disappointed in the public schools and are sending their wards to private schools.”
“You can’t tell me that this is an example of a President and a government that has prioritized education and for that matter, have a stellar record when it comes to education.”
“We are calling on Mr. President to do the needful by instructing the Minister of Finance to pay the outstanding arrears and to make sure there is timely remittance of the Capitation Grant so that the public basic school system does not collapse,” he stated.
The capitation grant program was established in 2005 with the goals of ensuring free access to basic education as well as funding the operational and ongoing costs of public elementary schools.
The grant will be used to maintain the public basic school system’s facilities, buy supplies like chalk attendance registers, repair broken doors and windows, and carry out some modest improvements.
Mr. Apaak claimed that because the government hasn’t taken the necessary action, many heads of elementary schools have had to borrow money to keep their institutions running smoothly.
He claimed that many people who had to accept loans are now being harassed by their creditors, which has an impact on both teaching and learning in the basic school system.