Allow SHS’s to purchase food for students – CHASS to gov’t

The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has urged school administrators to provide their institutions permission to buy food for students’ meals.

This role, it claimed, had been a constant demand from CHASS for a number of years due to the way some suppliers had let it down by failing to provide food items on schedule.

Rev. Stephen Owusu Sekyere, the national president of the CHASS, made the request yesterday during the association’s 61st annual conference in Accra. He also sought a sizable increase in funding for all activities to keep up with the present rise in the cost of products and services.

“We are of the firm belief that procuring the food items by ourselves from our traditional suppliers will help to solve the acute shortages of food items in our schools,” he added.

The main goal of CHASS’s annual conference was to bring together educational professionals from all across the country to discuss best practices for running schools in the pursuit of excellence in senior high school (SHS) instruction.

“We have a firm belief that procuring the food items by ourselves from our traditional suppliers will help deal with the shortages of food and reduce the logistical and operational challenges that come with it” Rev Sekyere stated.

He claimed that the schools lacked the financial resources necessary to carry out extremely significant ongoing activities.

Rev. Sekyere observed that as a result, regular maintenance tasks like plumbing, carpentry, masonry, electrical work, painting, and servicing some equipment in offices had grown to be exceedingly challenging to complete.

Additionally, he expressed extreme worry about the delays in the distribution of school uniforms to newly accepted kids, which he claimed created opportunities for absenteeism.

The national president also stated that it had become more challenging to conduct internal examinations and demanded more funding for them.

“Subsequent release for the conduct of practicals must meet the cost.

Management must also ensure the timely release of the entire funding of schools to make the work less stressful,” he stressed.

Rev. Sekyere asserted that the CHASS could not maintain a false sense of security about the profession as the national leaders of SHS since it is a human organization in charge of the largest human resource in the nation.

Rev. Sekyere voiced worry about the rising incidence of indiscipline and misbehavior that has plagued the majority of senior high schools, noting that some of these offenses, such drug misuse, hooliganism, bullying, and occultism, had their roots in the homes and communities of the offenders.

While accepting the recently established SHS code of conduct, Rev. Sekyere demanded that CHASS be given some latitude at the board of governors level to handle more serious matters and expedite the administration of justice in schools.

Therefore, he urged all parties involved in education to support the schools and work to shape the next generation for a better future.

across response to a question about the free SHS policy, he stated, “Our roles, as heads of SHS in the country, are very critical in shaping the future of our students, our country, and the world.”

To that end, he stated, all input and recommendations must be encouraged in order to shape the free SHS policy.

“The free SHS is a great policy that has made secondary education more accessible to the nation’s underprivileged population.

At the Senior High School level, in tandem with the National Digital Literacy Project, the President stated that the e-Transform Ghana project stands as a beacon of progress.

With an investment of ninety-seven million United States dollars (US$97 million), Government is enhancing service delivery through ICT. Among its many facets, the e-Education component promises to establish computer laboratories in three hundred and five (305) public Senior High Schools in all the regions of the country.

These labs, according to the President, will be equipped with cutting-edge technology, fostering an environment where students can immerse themselves in the digital realm.

“As we open tenders tomorrow, on 12th October, for the equipment in the remaining two hundred and thirty-two (232) Senior High Schools, and with contracts already signed for seventy-three (73), we are well on our way to bridging the digital divide,” he said.

The President continued, “Our commitment to every student’s journey into the Fourth Industrial Revolution is unflinching. The “One Student One Tablet” initiative is evidence of our belief in the transformative power of technology. By repositioning our educational system, we are nurturing a generation of empowered Ghanaians armed with the skills essential for our economic prosperity,” he stated.

TVET
Touching on Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), President Akufo-Addo stated that TVET education has seen a comprehensive modernisation and expansion drive, with new state-of-the-art facilities under construction, with existing undergoing renovation and upgrading.

The Dual TVET Method, he explained, is combining classroom learning with practical, on-the-job training, is revolutionising skills development in the country, ensuring learners are well-prepared for their chosen fields.

“A comprehensive review of TVET curricula has also been undertaken to align them with current industry demands and emerging technologies. This process involved collaboration with industry stakeholders to identify the skills and competencies needed for a rapidly evolving job market. The revised curricula aim to equip students with practical, job-ready skills that are in high demand,” he added.

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com