Free SHS Payments: Mahama ‘Goofed’ As Education Ministry Clarifies Payment Structure

The Education Ministry has denied the claim by former President John Dramani Mahama suggesting that, the government has honoured only 30% of payments in the first year of the Free Senior High School programme.

According to a release issued Monday and signed by Director of Public Affairs, Vincent Ekow Assafuah: “The Government, through the Ministry of Education, makes 79.5% central payments and only 20.5% are paid directly to the schools”.

Mr. John Mahama is reported to have told a gathering of former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who served under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administrations that the government, led by President Nana Akufo-Addo has paid only 30% of the funds meant for the first-year implementation of the Free SHS programme.

“…it’s like the government is just, as I said, ‘Governance-As-You-Go’, ad hoc decisions, all the initiatives like free SHS, no policy guideline, and, as of now, the information we have is that for the first year, only 30% of the money that should have been paid to the schools has been paid, 70% has not been paid”, Mr Mahama claimed.

However, the Ministry in setting the records straight explained, the government in its bid to protect the public purse by ensuring maximum gains through economies of scale, reached an understanding with stakeholders which enables it to pay suppliers directly.

The rest of the funds are transferred into the accounts of the schools directly, it said.

Read the full statement below:

Re: Mahama claims

It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Education certain claims made by the Former President of the Republic, Mr. John Mahama, indicating that Government has only honoured 30% of Free SHS payments to the Senior High School. It has become necessary to set the records straight.

The Government, through the Ministry of Education, makes 79.5% central payments and only 20.5% are paid directly to the schools.

In order to protect the public purse by ensuring maximum gains through economies of scale, the Ministry of Education, CHASS and the office of the Minister of State In Charge of Public Procurement agreed to undertake procurement at these levels;

i. Centralized Procurement
ii. School Level Procurement (to be paid Centrally)
iii. School Level Procurement ( to be paid at the school level)
iv. Food Procurement ( School/Buffer Stock)

Centralized Procurement (Paid Centrally)

1. Exercise Books
2. Textbooks
3. Supplementary Readers/Core Literature Books
4. P. E Kits
5. Notebooks
6. Technical Drawing Instruments (TVET only)
7. Technical Drawing Board and Tee Square (TVET only)

School Level Procurement ( Paid for Centrally)

1. School Uniform
2. School Cloth
3. House Dress

School Level Procurement ( Paid for at School Level)

1. Procurement of perishable food items.

2. Food Procurement (School/Buffer Stock)

3. Food supplied by Buffer Stock Company to Boarding Schools.
Food Vendors for strictly Day Schools.

ABOSRBED FEES
1.Fees payable for first year students such as
a. Admission fees
b. Maintenance fees
c. Cummulative Examination fees
d. 2 sets of School Uniform
e. 2 sets of House Dress
f. School Cloth
g. P.E Kits
h. 9 Exercise Books
i. 4 Note Books
j. 1 Supplementary/3 Core Literature English Books.

2. All recurring fees items including and not exclusively
a. Examination fees
b. Library fees
c. Practical fees
d. Utilities
e. Entertainment fees
f. Science Development

3. Teacher Motivation: Teacher Motivation: GHS 20 paid out of PTA Dues of GHS 25 per student yearly.

4. Feeding fees: 3 meals daily for Boaders and 1 hot meal for Day Students.

5. Core Textbooks: Provision of full compliment of all recommended textbooks for first year students.
Subsidies: for all continuing students (form 2 & 3)

Ekow Vincent Assafuah,
Head of Public Relations Unit,
Ministry of Education.

Source: Myjoyonline