Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, a ranking member on the education committee in Parliament has suggested to the government to urgently review the School Feeding Programme to make it sustainable.
Nortsu-Kotoe believes parents can be roped in to cater for the feeding of their wards to lessen the financial burden on the government.
The Minister of Education, Yaw Osei Adutwum, has said that most state-owned senior high schools have received food items after weeks of shortage in the system.
Responding to questions in Parliament, he confirmed that the government owes the National Food Buffer Stock Company roughly GHC340 million, resulting in a shortage of food items in some high schools in Ghana.
Speaking on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (17 August), Nortsu-Kotoe warned that failure to review the programme will have far reaching repercussions on the national coffers.
“You can imagine feeding about two million students in three years’ time, it will not be sustainable,” the MP said. “So, let’s review the programme and see how best parents can also contribute in a way towards the upkeep of their students.”
“So, if the government opens up that stakeholders should be engaged, so that we can review the programme and see how we can look at the feeding aspect of the Free SHS, I think the programme will be sustainable,” he said.
“But as it is now, it is beyond the capability of the government. The government must accept the fact that it is not well with us, then let us sit down, review and see what role we can give to parents to play,” Nortsu-Kotoe added.
Listen to Peter Nortsu-Kotoe in the attached audio below:
Fred Dzakpata
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