Capitation, Senior High Sschools grants released

Page 1b
April 22, 2009


THE government has released a total of GH¢16,773,155.20 as Capitation Grant for primary schools and subsidy for senior high schools in the country.
Out of the amount, GH¢7,892,285.65 is for the Capitation Grant for the first and second terms of the 2008/2009 academic year and arrears for the 2006/2007 academic year.
The remaining GH¢8,880,869.55 is subsidy for senior high schools for the 2008/2009 academic year.
The Head of the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Education, Mr Paul Krampah, who made this known to the Daily Graphic yesterday, said the release of the moneys was expected to ensure smooth academic activities.
He said it was the expectation of the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, that the funds would be used effectively to address the challenges in schools.
The delay over the release of the Capitation Grant for primary schools resulted in heads of some schools charging illegal levies to address problems they were facing in their schools.
The government, on assumption of office, increased the Capitation Grant from GH¢3 to GH¢4.5 to meet the increasing cost of running schools.
The President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS), Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, welcomed the release of the funds and described it as good news.
He said heads of schools had expected the money to be released before the commencement of the term to enable them to prepare adequately to ensure smooth academic activities.
He said the schools would be able to manage with the funds released, and expressed the hope that the third term subsidy would be released soon.
Heads of senior high schools earlier this month expressed concern about the delay in the release of the subsidies.
According to them, the delay had resulted in some of the schools borrowing in anticipation of the early release of the subsidy. However, when the release of the money delayed some of them threatened to close down their schools.
The subsidy paid by the government per student per term covers general stationery and management, office machinery, first aid, building maintenance, sports fee, culture fee, sanitation fee, postage, textbook user fee, practical fees, furniture maintenance and tools maintenance as well as machinery for technical schools and institutions.
The breakdown is as follows: General stationery and management and office machinery, GH¢1; first aid, 40 Gp; building maintenance, GH¢1.50; sports fee, 80 Gp; culture fee, 30Gp, sanitation fee, 80 Gp; postage, 20Gp; textbook user fee, GH¢1.30; practical fees, GH¢3; furniture maintenance, 60Gp and tools and maintenance of machinery for technical schools and institutions, GH¢4.5.