The responsibility for the procurement of food items for Senior High Schools (SHSs) will return to headmasters of the schools under the next government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The change will form part of proposed plans to review the Free Senior High School Policy to improve the quality of food students are being fed under the policy.
Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, National Chairman of the NDC, who gave the hint, said the current situation where various suppliers were contracted to supply different foodstuffs was affecting the quality of food served in schools.
Speaking at a community engagement in the Suame Constituency as part of his retail campaign in the Ashanti Region, Mr. Asiedu Nketia said the current arrangement was a ploy to milk the state through procurement.
“School authorities are compelled to feed the students a particular food for days because some suppliers have failed to deliver what they have been contracted to supply,” he alleged.
He said school heads had no choice but to feed the children with whatever was available, denying the kids a balanced diet.
The policy, according to the National Chairman of the NDC, is good, but its implementation leaves much to be desired and stressed the need to review and make it better.
Mr. Nketiah also reiterated the NDC’s resolve to abolish the double-track system to enable students to attend school simultaneously.
“We are going to complete all the abandoned E-blocks and expand facilities in SHSs in our first year to accommodate all students at a go,” the National Chairman announced.
He wondered why such interventions were being misconstrued as cancellation of the policy and urged Ghanaians to reject such self-serving propaganda.
“We remain committed to the cancellation of the double track system and allow headmasters to procure food for their students to improve the policy,” he emphasised.
