Calls for SHSs to buy food items for feeding students apt – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has welcomed calls by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) for Senior High Schools to be allowed to buy food items for feeding their students.

He said the call aligns with pronouncements he made in 2020.

Currently, the government through the National Food Buffer Stock Company provides food items to senior high schools nationwide.

This process has been criticised as such schools have over the years complained about food shortages.

Mr Mahama in November 2020 promised that the feeding of students under the free SHS policy would be the responsibility of the management of schools in the next NDC government.

Speaking at a rally at Navrongo in the Upper East Region, he said grants for the purchase of food items would be disbursed to the heads of the schools to take up the responsibility.

Mr Mahama in a Facebook post on Thursday noted that “I agree with the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) that Senior High School management should be allowed to procure food items for their students.”

“This change in policy aligns with my stance, which I announced in Navrongo in November 2020.”

Mr Mahama in the post added that doing so was imperative because “it will eliminate the unnecessary hindrances that hamper the feeding of SHS students in Ghana.”