Reverend Father Owusu Sekyere, National President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), has called for timely and adequate resourcing of its member schools.
He said that routine maintenance activities such as plumbing, masonry, carpentry, electrical work, painting, and servicing of running vehicles and some office equipment had become impossible for the schools due to a lack of funding.
“It is in fact very stressful as heads as we look on hopelessly and helplessly as these facilities fall apart due to inadequate funds to maintain them,” he said.
Rev. Fr Sekyere made the call at the 61st Chass Annual National Conference in Accra on Wednesday.
The conference is on the theme: “ Ensuring Quality Education in the Free Senior High School System in the Midst of Resource Scarcity:A Shared Responsibility.”
Rev Fr Sekyere asked the government to ensure prompt release of funds to the schools in order to make their work less stressful and to avoid the practice of schools relying on credit facilities to satisfy requirements for practicals.
He said that money allotted for all school activities must be substantially increased to meet current market prices of goods and services in order to provide students with the required required educational tools.
Rev. Fr Sekyere urged the government to allow the various schools to purchase what they require to feed students in order to avoid disappointment from some food suppliers.
He decried the rising rate of indiscipline in most Senior High Schools, which he claimed had also been observed in the homes and communities of pepertrators.
“While we acknowledge the recently approved code of conduct for students in Senior High Schools, it is of the view that the heads of these institutions must be given some discretionary powers to handle more serious issues at the level of the Board of Governance,” he said.
That, the National President said would result in the efficient and timely delivery of justice in the schools.
Professor Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA), emphasized that quality education was the bedrock of a thriving society, providing youths with the skills needed to navigate an ever-changing world.
He argued that the reality of quality was not always dependent on abundance, but on creativity, innovation, and harnessing all available resources to create a useful and transforming educational experience.
“Resource scarcity is a reality we must address head-on. The Free Senior High School system initiated a symphony of possibilities, opening doors to dreams previously whispered only in the quiet of minds. Yet, in this grand masterpiece, the hues of brilliance are juxtaposed with the shades of resource scarcity”, Prof Amartey added.
The Vice Chancellor urged the CHASS to leverage the conference’s energy and commitment to chart a course toward a more inclusive, resilient, and resourceful education system that empowered students and prepared them to thrive.
GNA
