Education Minister Rejects CHASS’ Proposal for Schools to Manage Feeding Systems

The Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has dismissed the proposal made by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) regarding the management of feeding systems within schools. Dr. Adutwum emphasized the complexity of challenges associated with the school feeding program as a key reason for advocating the maintenance of centralized control.

The call for schools to handle their feeding systems arose from CHASS’s discontent with the prolonged delays in foodstuff disbursement to Senior High Schools (SHSs) nationwide, highlighted during their 61st National Annual Conference. In response to these concerns, CHASS proposed that SHSs be granted the autonomy to procure their food items in an effort to streamline operations and address logistical challenges in food supply.

Reverend Steven Owusu Sekyere, President of CHASS, underscored this need, believing that allowing schools to purchase their food items directly would enhance efficiency and mitigate distribution challenges.

However, during an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum contested the notion that devolving control over the food system would guarantee a seamless process. He pointed to historical challenges faced by schools in the Northern region during a previous Free Feeding era, where local management did not prevent disruptions.

Dr. Adutwum highlighted the importance of setting up and improving systems to ensure efficient procurement and distribution. He referenced last year’s procurement efforts, emphasizing the success of sending supplies to specific regional locations. The minister stressed that mere control did not guarantee flawless operations and reiterated the need to focus on establishing and enhancing robust systems rather than simply controlling the process.