Dr. Clement Apaak, the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, has expressed deep concerns about the potential collapse of basic education in Ghana.
Clement Apaak identified several factors contributing to this alarming situation, including the government’s failure to pay caterers under the school feeding program and its inability to adequately increase the funding allocated for providing meals to students.
Highlighting the gravity of the issue, Dr. Apaak emphasized that the current allocation of 97 pesewas per student for meals is grossly insufficient.
He went as far as stating that this amount is inadequate even to feed a cat, considering the high cost of basic food items such as eggs.
Speaking in an interview on the point of view show on Citi TV ohe said; “If you want my honest opinion, Ghana’s public basic education system is at the verge of collapsing. Seriously. Yes, it is that bad. And I think that parents who are listening, have some basic schools across the country who are listening. And if not, they will confirm what I’m saying.
”First of all, we all know that the basic sector is the foundation and if you have to get it right, the foundation must be solid. I mean, you can compare it or in terms of analogy.
”As you know, currently it is just 97 pesewas. That is worse as in the current state of affairs and the economy is woefully inadequate. I’ve said before and I’ll say again, that what is of interest to us is not even sufficient to feed a pet cut. As we speak now even an egg cost more than 97 pesewas with the cost of food items, food inflation, you know, going up, you cannot expect these women to prepare what the program itself describes as a nutritious, hot meal a day to feed our walls in the various public schools across the country”, he said.
Dr. Apaak stressed the critical importance of a solid foundation in basic education, stating that any challenges in this foundation will inevitably impact the higher levels of education, such as senior high school.
He called for urgent action to address the deficiencies in the provision of meals to students, as this issue directly impacts their health, nutrition, and overall educational experience.
“The collapse of basic education, if left unaddressed, could have severe long-term consequences for the country. It undermines the government’s efforts to provide quality education to all Ghanaian children and jeopardizes the future prospects of the nation’s youth.”