The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition has advocated for parental contributions to the Free feeding initiatives in Senior High schools, given the present burden on the government.
The coalition argued that involving parents in the program would provide some relief to the government and enable it to channel resources to other education-related activities.
“In light of the current challenges faced by the buffer stock office and the ongoing demonstrations by food suppliers, GNECC proposes that parents be allowed to contribute financially toward the feeding of their children. The move, according to GNECC, would help alleviate the financial burden and enable redirection of funds towards other educational projects,” the coalition said in a statement on Friday, July 21, 2023.
GNECC stated that parental participation would promote a sense of responsibility and ownership among parents and guardians while ensuring the judicious use of resources mobilized for the program.
“Parental contributions to the SHS Feeding program would foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among parents. It would also promote transparency and accountability in the management of resources, as parents would have a direct stake in the program.
According to them, the government could use the funds saved from parent participation for other ventures, including infrastructure development, teacher training programs, and the provision of learning materials, which they believe will have a much greater impact on education in the country.
The coalition urged the government to engage various educational stakeholders in discussing and agreeing on the modalities for parental contribution to the feeding program.
