CHASS Contemplating Early Closure of Upper East Schools

Bolgatanga, Feb. 7, GNA – The Upper East branch of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) is considering early closure of second-cycle schools for non-payment of bursaries especially feeding grants.

Already, all the schools are battling with suppliers for non-payment of food and other logistics supplied to the school while others have been threatened with court suits to retrieve their monies.

The Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga has gathered that last Friday CHASS members in the Region held an emergency meeting to conclude the decision for early closure of the schools to avoid starving the students because suppliers are no more willing to supply schools with food.

A source close to CHASS told the GNA that heads of schools could no more endure the continuous harassment and embarrassments from suppliers.

The source said since the academic year began, the government had consistently failed to reimburse schools with students' feeding grants and this is affecting academic and administrative work.

It said last month the government paid only 35 per cent of the amount it had to pay schools and since the suppliers had been harassing and embarrassing the heads for their money.

When the Ghana News Agency contacted the Upper East Region branch secretary to CHASS, Mr. Baba Yafo, he confirmed the decision and said early closure was the only possible alternative as crediting from suppliers to feed the students had backfired.

He appealed to government to as a matter of urgency consider the consequences in sending the children home and reimburse the schools for smooth and effective academic work to continue.

GNA