Despite the government praising itself for its management of the education sector, particularly with the introduction of the Free Senior High School programme, Dr. Clement Apaak, Deputy Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, strongly disagrees.
He asserts that the foundation of the country’s education system is faltering.
Dr. Apaak, also the NDC’s Member of Parliament for Builsa South Constituency in the Upper East Region, expressed his concerns during an interview on Class 93.1 FM’s morning show hosted by Kwame Dwomoh Agyemang on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
“I don’t think the base is doing well, and many who are listening to me, if given the chance, will call in and agree with me,” Dr. Apaak stated.
He highlighted that many basic schools in the country are in a dilapidated state, with cracked walls, broken doors and windows, and a severe deficit of furniture.
“In rural areas, pupils often have to lie on their bellies to write due to the lack of desks,” he bemoaned.
Dr. Apaak revealed that for seven terms, equating to approximately two years, the government has not released the Capitation Grant to basic schools.
This grant is essential for the day-to-day running of schools, including fixing broken infrastructure among others.
Despite Parliament approving funding for this grant annually, the delays in its release have created significant pressure on head teachers, he said.
“Today, one of the most dreaded appointments in the country is to be a basic school head teacher because Capitation Grants are not released timely by the government,” he alleged.
This delay, he noted, puts enormous strain on head teachers who are left to manage schools with inadequate resources.
Dr. Apaak criticised the government for neglecting basic education while focusing heavily on the Free Senior High School programme.
He pointed out that before the introduction of Free SHS, the nation committed to Free Compulsory Basic Education (FCUBE), and the government bore the cost of basic education similarly to Free SHS.
He called on organisations such as the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers to confirm or deny his claims.
Dr. Apaak emphasised that the current administration’s fixation on the Free SHS programme has led to the neglect of basic education, causing stagnation at the foundational level.
He further made a clarion call for the timely release of the capitation grants to basic schools across the country.
