Regional News of Wednesday, 21 September 2005

Source: GNA

Parents within Ho Municipality take advantage of Capitation grant

Ho, Sept. 21, GNA - Basic public schools within the Ho Municipality have been inundated by large numbers of new pupils who want to be enrolled into school to benefit from the Government's Capitation grant. Most of those seeking admission are from private schools, where parents are claiming they cannot afford the high school fees. There were also school drop-outs who want to take advantage of the grant to continue with their education.

Head-teachers of some schools visited by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) welcomed the system but expressed uncertainty about its feasibility.

Mr Samson Tigoe, Assistant Headteacher of Ho Bankoe Roman Catholic Junior Secondary School (JSS) said the day-to-day administration of the school had been affected now because "headteacher had to use his own money to provide first aid for ailing students and keep receipts for records."

Teachers at other schools said they could not run the schools without money.

Some Head-teachers said until the facility became fully operational new pupils would be admitted on condition that they provided their own furniture and other materials for their education.