Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, has cautioned the government against delaying the payment of capitation grants to various primary schools.
According to the legislator, the delay in releasing the funds is gradually collapsing the public basic school system.
Dr. Clement Apaak told Accra based television Citi TV that the government must act to avert the situation.
“This is a grant that the heads of basic schools use to procure basic supplies like chalk, registers, and to engage in basic fixtures like doors and windows. So when government fails to make this available, the heads of basic schools are compelled to either borrow monies to keep the schools running or to take some of these items and services on loans. In fact, this is collapsing the public basic school system and I think it’s most unfortunate. Government needs to do the needful,” the legislator stated.
Meanwhile, the executive secretary of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare urged the ministry of finance to give schools the full amount of the funds on January 1, 2023.
The Executive Secretary of Africa Education Watch stated, “I don’t see anything positive happening at the capitation grants in 2023 because if you look at the goods and services budget line of the Ministry of Finance where the capitation grant is actually financed, the reason why the grant is delaying is that the Ministry of Finance is not releasing the goods and services allocation to the Ghana Education Service and Ministry of Education.”
He lamented the government’s decision to reduce the grants and expressed doubt about the improvement of the capitation grants.
“When the minister went to Parliament to read the 2023 budget, less than 19% had been distributed from the GH2.92 million that had been allocated for basic education in terms of goods and services, capitation grants and teacher learning resources, feeding grants to special schools, and BECE subsidiary. Less than 20% of the funds have been distributed as of yet.”
