Various SHS Face Severe Shortage Of Essential Food Supplies – CHASS Head
By Gayheart Anahor , Bolgatanga
The Regional Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS)for the Upper East Region, Richard Akumbase, has disclosed that since the beginning of the academic year, several educational institutions have found themselves tussling with a severe shortage of essential food supplies, including groundnuts, Gari, rice, and bread flour.
Mr. Akumbase expressed concern over the situation, highlighting the vital role these provisions play in sustaining the daily nutritional needs of students and staff.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Akumbase explained that the scarcity of these essential foods is not only hindering the well-being of the students but also inhibits the effective functioning of educational institutions.
According to him, some local food suppliers were reluctant to fulfill their commitments to providing these crucial food items.
“Some suppliers, because they are also looking at how to make profit, are running away from food items that are in scarcity like gari, which most of the schools do not have, yet they are loading the schools with beans. The reason is simple; this is the season of beans. It is bad.”
The absence of groundnuts, gari, and bread flour has left school authorities scrambling to find alternative sources, disrupting the regular flow of meals within schools.
“Of course, this, in turn, will raise concerns about the nutritional adequacy of meals served to students, potentially impacting their health and academic performance” Mr. Akumbase said.
He further used the opportunity to call for urgent intervention from relevant authorities to address the issue promptly.
Of course, this, in turn, will raise concerns about the nutritional adequacy of meals served to students, potentially impacting their health and academic performance
He emphasized the need for a collaborative effort between education officials and local suppliers to identify and rectify these challenges affecting the delivery of essential food items to schools.
