CHRAJ: Increase GSFP coverage to two million children in 2012

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has urged the government to increase coverage of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) from an estimated one million children as of September 2011 to two million school children by September 2012.

In addition, the Commission also suggested to the government to increase the Capitation Grant from GH¢4.50 per child per term to GH¢7.00 per child per term by September.

This was contained in the Highlights of the 2011 CHRAJ Report on the State of Human Rights in Ghana made available to the GNA in Wa by Mr. Siddique Ubeidu, the Upper West Regional Director of the Commission.

The Report noted that, the combined effect of the school feeding programme and the capitation grant had increased school enrolment, retention and attendance of pupils in deprived communities and should be increased.

The Commission commended the government for expanding both interventions but maintained that, the current rate and coverage were still low and could not serve adequately its intended purpose.

The report stated that, 60 percent of schools monitored continued to charge fees such as Parent/Teacher Association dues as well as printing levies to support their operations due to the inadequacy of the grant coupled with delays in the release of the funds.

It said, notwithstanding the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) policy, the continued existence of non-school going children who are supposed to enjoy free basic education was disturbing.

The Commission also stated in the report that, its monitoring had revealed that less than 60 percent of primary school teachers had proper professional training with the districts having only 37 percent of trained teachers, and urged the government to train more teachers to ensure quality education in the country. **