Finance Minister is Starving Public Basic Schools of Capitation Grants-Minority
The Minority caucus in Parliament has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency instruct the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta to immediately release the arrears of capitation grant to public basic schools.
Lack of disbursements of the grant to basic schools as required, the Caucus said, has become dire and slowly suffocating the day-to-day administration of these first cycle schools.
The Minority indicated government owes the capitation grant over GH¢106 million, which the finance Minister is doing nothing concrete to disburse.
Member of Parliament for Builsa South and a member of the Education Committee, Clement Apaak, who addressed the media on the matter, disclosed in the 2022 Budget, Parliament approved GH¢60 million for capitation grant but the government disbursed only GH¢15 million leaving arrears of GH¢45 million.
According to him, for 2023 a request for GH¢60 was made for a capitation grant but the government submitted only GH¢11 million to Parliament for approval.
He said, “So ideally, the government should be making available to the basic education capitation grant in excess of GH¢106 million but that is not happening and the request is not being met.”
“The monies that ought to go to these schools so they can function properly are not going. This is why these days you don’t hear of basic schools undertaking activities like cultural and sports activities.”
Hon Apaak argued claims that the records of President Akufo-Addo in the education sector are unsurpassed are blatant lies.
He noted that for a government that is unable to provide the needed resources for the foundation of education in the country, which is the basic sector, it is highly presumptuous to assume it has done more for education than any other administration.
“You owe capitation grant in excess of two years. Headmasters are compelled to borrow money to keep the system going and because of that many parents are disillusioned and disappointed in the public schools and are sending their wards to private schools.”
“You can’t tell me that this is an example of a President and a government that has prioritized education and for that matter, have a stellar record when it comes to education.”
“We are calling on Mr. President to do the needful by instructing the Minister of Finance to pay the outstanding arrears and to make sure there is timely remittance of the Capitation Grant so that the public basic school system does not collapse,” he stated.
The capitation grant scheme was instituted in 2005 and the purpose is to ensure that basic school is accessed freely and to finance the administration and day-to-day needs of public basic schools.
The grant is to cover the maintenance of schools, procure items like chalk attendance registers, fix broken doors and windows, and minor renovations in the public basic school system.
Mr. Apaak indicated that because the government has failed to do the needful many heads of basic schools have had to borrow monies to ensure the schools operate effectively.
Some, he said, have had to take loans to the extent that many of them are now being harassed by their creditors, which is affecting teaching and learning in the basic school system
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