CRI rejects proposal for parents to cover free SHS students feeding

Child Rights International (CRI) following food shortages in various government second-cycle schools across the country has opposed proposals to make parents cover the cost of feeding students under the Free Senior High School policy.

In a statement sighted by Pretertiary.com, CRI highlighted the importance of maintaining the Free SHS program, calling it a transformative initiative that has opened doors to education for many Ghanaian children since its introduction in 2017.

As a program created to remove financial barriers and ensure all children regardless of their background, have access to education, it expressed concern that asking parents to provide food and other necessities would go against the core purpose of the Free SHS policy.

Child Rights International (CRI) therefore has urged that reforms of the central government flagship program should focus on solving these problems without taking away the benefits that make education accessible to all.

The group has also called on relevant stakeholders in the education sector to protect the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) program’s goals and ensure no Ghanaian school going age child is left behind.

The organization’s concerns come after the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS) asked parents to supplement food supplies for their children following this academic year’s January school reopening.

In a statement sighted by Pretertiary.com, the National Secretary of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools, Primus Baro, said in parts of the country, some public second-cycle schools lacked food supplies like oil and maize.

“I encourage parents, and I have already advised my Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to this effect, to let their children bring food like gari, shito, and sugar to supplement whatever the school provides.

I urge parents across the country, as the food situation has still not improved in the past two and three years, and it has worsened at this particular time,” Primus Baro said in the press statement describing the situation as worrying.