Tamale, Nov. 20, GNA - Some head teachers in basic schools in the Northern Region are not disbursing the capitation grant properly but were instead using it for their personal development.

Mrs Elizabeth De-Souza, Northern Regional Director of Education, who disclosed this, said some of the teachers particularly those undertaking distance learning courses used the grant to pay for their school fees. Mrs De-Souza was addressing a workshop organised by the Ghana Education Service for head teachers and circuit supervisors on the theme; "Teacher Absenteeism and Management of the Capitation Grant," in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region on Friday. The workshop was sponsored by the Alliance for Change in Education - IBIS.

She said some head teachers additionally failed to disburse the capitation grant in accordance with the Capitation Grant School Performance Improvement Plan (SPIP) and also did not submit their financial report to their district directors of education. "As a result of the above, we have not seen the impact of the grants. The increase in grants does not match with increase in school performance," Mrs De-Souza said.

She bemoaned the rate of teacher absenteeism and poor supervision in schools and said it was a canker which had resulted in the laying of a poor foundation and the subsequent poor performance of students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the region. She observed that some teachers reported to school not only late but sat under trees to converse instead of teaching saying; "Children pass through the walls of the school without achieving anything". Mrs De-Souza warned that henceforth measures would be taken to ensure that the disbursement of the capitation grant was strictly monitored and that supervision in schools was also intensified. Mr Charles Adama, Regional Accountant of the Ghana Education Service, who made a presentation on the Management of the Capitation Grant, said although government continued to increase the grant, educational standards were falling in schools because of its mismanagement. He said the performance of girls in the BECE in the region was very disappointing noting that for the year 2007 out of the 4000 girls who sat for the exams, 2,700 failed and in 2008 out of 7,900 girls who sat for the exams, 5,300 failed.

He said all fees had been abolished in schools except sports fees and therefore warned that no child should be sent away because he or she failed to pay any fees. Mr Adama said the capitation grant was public money and therefore head teachers should declare how much they received from the government to the assemblies, the school management committees and all stakeholders in education. 20 Nov. 10