Elder Peter A. Gyamfi, Eastern Regional Chairman of the Conference of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), says government has released monies to Senior High Schools under its perishables and recurrent expenditure for the 2023 academic year.

According to him, the funds were divided into three lodgements: perishables for current forms two and three students and recurrent expenditure for form three students who recently graduated from high school.

Elder Gyamfi said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the preparedness of the 90 senior high schools in the Eastern Region following the commencement of the 2022/2023 academic year early this week.

“The perishable is GH¢1.50p per student per day and the recurrent expenditure is used for maintenance and the general running of the school,” he said.

However, he stated that only 15 schools out of the 90 SHSs had received the three “itemised food items” to begin the new academic year, which was not encouraging.

“As we speak Bufferstock has given contracts to suppliers to supply us with food items. 10 school received only beans, three school received beans and maize and two schools received beans and gari out of 18 itemized food items”, he said.

The 18 “itemized food items” are beans, gari, rice, millet, maize, soya beans, tom brown, sugar, sardines, mackerels, milk, peanuts, flour, margarine, vegetable cooking oil, hot chocolate and tin tomatoes.

He said that schools were still waiting for the supply of the 18 “itemized food items” to be able to feed the students.

Elder Gyamfi, who is also the Headmaster of Pentecost SHS in Koforidua, added that about 650 students had reported to school as at the close of Tuesday, and expressed the hope the number would increase in the coming days.

“You will be marveled at how students are excited to report back to school. About 650 students out of a population of 1,300 boarding students had reported, ” he said.

He expressed gratitude to the Church of Pentecost for supporting the school with some food items as authorities wait for supplies from the bufferstock company. Koforidua Senior High Technical School (Koforidua SecTech) and Adonteng Senior High School told the GNA that students were reporting for the 2023 academic year.

Mr Samuel Batarema, Koforidua SecTech’s Assistant Headmaster in charge of Administration, indicated that all students were expected to return to school by Thursday to partake in a resumption examination.

He explained that the purpose of the exam was to urge all students to arrive on time so that school activities could begin as soon as practicable.

Mr Peter Danquah Kpakpo-Atsem, Secretary of the Eastern Regional Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), urged teachers to observe the teachers’ code of conduct.

The new academic year for both Junior High Schools (JHS) and Senior High Schools (SHS) began on January 10, 2023, with many students, particularly SHS pupils, eager to return to school.