Minister of Education debunks reports of food shortages in Senior High Schools

The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has reassured parents and stakeholders that Senior High Schools (SHSs) across the country have enough food to feed students without difficulties. Addressing the media at Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School (OKESS) in Kumasi, Dr Adutwum stated that there was no cause for alarm about reports of food shortages in schools as the government had put measures in place to ensure a regular supply of food to schools.

During his four-day working visit to the Ashanti Region to engage with students and inspect ongoing projects, the minister visited OKESS, one of the distribution centres for schools in the Kumasi Metropolis. He inspected the warehouse and found it to be stocked with large quantities of assorted foods such as rice, maize, beans, gari, flour, and various kinds of canned foods.

Dr Adutwum revealed that, as part of the government’s efforts to ensure a sustainable supply of food to the schools, it had contracted a company called Commodity Exchange to supply food in addition to the Buffer Stock. The challenges of food supply associated with the implementation of the Free Senior High Schools informed the addition of Commodity Exchange to find lasting solutions to the shortage of food in schools.

“Funds for the purchase of perishables are released to the schools on time to ensure students are fed without excuses”. He said.

The minister reiterated that the president was committed to addressing all challenges confronting the Free Education Programme to preserve the huge benefits of the programme for posterity. William Darkwa, the national coordinator of the Free Senior High School Programme, said OKESS was one of 54 distribution centres across the country where food for the schools was stored.

SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh