Free SHS: CHASS boss "not current" – Dep. Edu. Minister

The President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Mrs Cecilia Kwakye Cofie, is not current with the current situation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, thus, her recent claim that SHSs risked closure if the absorbed fees by the government did not reach the schools “immediately”, Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has said.

Speaking at the 68th Speech and Prize-giving Day of the Winneba SHS in Winneba last Saturday, Mrs Cofie called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, release subsidies which have been in arrears for three terms, to senior high schools (SHSs).

She said: “The major challenges confronting SHSs are the arrears and subsidies, release of payment of scholarship to second and third-year students and the renege on the part of the government to supply food to the schools.”

The “retired” headmistress of Winneba Senior High School said despite the urgency of the situation, school heads were afraid to speak for fear of victimisation.

“It is a fact that heads of schools are under serious pressure but are afraid to voice it, for fear of intimidation and sanctions.”

She also second- and third-year students were refusing to pay fees because they say they do not understand why only first-year students should be enjoying the Free SHS programme when all of them were Ghanaians.

Responding to her claims, Dr Adutwum told Moro Awudu on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Wednesday, 22 November that: “You see, Mrs Cecilia Cofie is retired, and she should enjoy her retirement and leave the running of schools to the headmasters who are at post.”

“She’s gone,” Dr Adutuwm said. “[She’s] outgoing [President] for CHASS, but she has retired from the school, she’s no longer the headmistress. So all the circulars that are going from the GES, she is not receiving any and that is why she is so out of the loop.

“She’s not updated. She’s not current at all my brother. She used to be current, but the moment she retired from Winneba, she was dropped from the platforms and she’s not getting the adequate information,” Dr Adutuwm explained.

The Deputy Minister emphasised: “On a serious note, let me tell you this: she’s no longer the headmistress of the school. As a result, there might have been some circulars that have gone round that she is not privy to, and, as a result, I will not really fault her for making some of the comments. The only thing I will say is: she was probably out of the loop and did not get the most current circulars that went from the Ministry. I will cut her some slack on that, other than that I will say it’s unfortunate.”


Source: ClassFMonline.com