Government releases 15.3 million cedis for Capitation grant

Accra , Nov 16, GNA - Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said on Wednesday that Government has released GH¢15.3 million as payment of Capitation Grant for 5,252,683 pupils in all public basic schools for the second and third terms of th e 2010/2011 academic year.

He said in fulfillment of Government's promise of providing free school uniforms and exercise books to increase enrolment and retention, 1,258,690 uniforms and 39,536,119 exercise books were distributed to pupils in deprived communities across the country.

The Finance Minister said in line with Government's efforts towards the elimination of schools under trees over the medium-term, 1,226 school projects were at various stages of completion.

Twenty-one Science Resource Centres in seven regions were completed and handed over, whilst 57 were at various stages of completion, he said, adding that 435 projects made up of 380 six unit classroom blocks and 55 2-storey dormitory blocks were started and had reached various stages of completion.

Dr. Dufuor said 36.8million Ghana cedis was released by the GET-Fund for the construction of lecture theatres, staff accommodation, library blocks, halls of residence, computer laboratories, auditoriums and agricultural engineering workshops which were at various stages of completion.

He said the Government will soon complete ongoing school infrastructural projects, especially in the basic and senior high schools.

He specifically cited the construction of 172 emergency six-unit classroom blocks at a cost of GHc49,718,664, the construction of 100 emergency blocks for 200 schools at a cost of GHc164, 872,400, and the construction of 55 dormitory blocks.

Also to be constructed, Dr. Dufuor said, were 380 six-unit classroom blocks and the rehabilitation of 100 Science Resource Centres in selected Senior High Schools throughout the country to be completed at a cost of GHc25.0 million.

He said the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) would continue to receive support to coordinate skills development in both the formal and informal sectors, adding that in the light of this, Competency Based Training would be rolled out to an additional 50 institutions and ten trade areas.

The Finance Minister said Government would intensify the implementation of intervention programs such as the capitation grant, free school uniforms, free exercise books and subsidies to basic and senior high schools.

He gave a break-down of the budgetary allocation for these programs as GHc25,368.008 for capitation grant, GHc28,800,000 for free school uniforms, while free exercise books would take GH¢28,967,500. BECE subsidy and Senior High School subsidy would take GHc6,718,332 and GH¢48,197,652 respectively.

Dr. Dufuor said, Government would ensure that rehabilitated and newly constructed infrastructural facilities were user friendly to students with disabilities, whilst action plans would be developed to implement the provisions of the Disability Act.

He said in 2012, the total amount of resources that would be utilized by the Ministry of Education to fund their programs and activities was GH¢2,871,680,218.00