SHS students to feed themselves after July 15 over food shortage

The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) says Senior High School students currently in school will be compelled to feed themselves if sufficient money and food are not received in schools by Friday, July 15.

In a press statement copied to AcademicWeek, CHASS said local Food suppliers contracted by the Buffer Stock Company are refusing to supply due to non-payment of outstanding monies owed for food supplied to schools.

“This has led to serious food shortages in all schools in the region. In fact, assessment of the situation indicated that most Senior High Schools (SHS) cannot go beyond one week if nothing urgent is done about it

All schools will feed students with only whatever is available in the school food stores and students will be asked to bring their own sugar and other items to the dining hall,” the Upper West Regional CHASS stated in the release.

It added “if sufficient money and food are not received in the schools by Friday, July 15, 2022. We will be compelled to tell parents to either feed their wards or come for them since it will be impossible to continue to feed them.”

According to the Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools, prospective students preparing to write their final examination amid the food shortage will also be compelled to feed themselves or come from home to write the examination.

“All sporting activities and cultural activities at the school, District, Regional and National levels are hereby suspended with immediate effect until further notice since there is no money to carry out these activities

We consider it a health hazard to compel students to partake in these activities on hungry stomachs fearing that they may collapse during the activity,” the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has said.

Amid the lack of funds, the leadership of CHASS has directed all workshops and other activities which may involve the payment of money to be suspended since it’s becoming impossible for schools to pay for these activities.