By Bernice Bessey & Pix by Eric Owiredu
A 2014 Citizens’ Assessment Report on the Capitation Grant Scheme released by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has revealed that the Scheme has not been able to totally eliminate fees and levies charged in the various public schools.
According to the report, which is under the theme; “is the capitation grant achieving the object of eliminating extra fee and charges at basic school level” the Capitation Grant has not been able to achieve the purpose for which it was established, since the schools are still charging about 11 levies and fees.
The report mentioned fees such as; Parents & Teachers Association (PTA), maintenance, capital development levy, printing of exams questions, sports, culture, funeral, excursions among others. However, the report also established that some special fees, levies and charges had been eliminated from the public schools.
Commenting on the report, Prof Stephen Adei -former Rector of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) said even though the report said the Capitation Grant has improved enrolment and retention of pupils in public schools, especially in deprived areas, he was of the view that the Scheme might not necessarily be the main contributor to the increase of enrolment in public schools.
Briefing stakeholders yesterday in Accra, the Director General of NDPC, Dr. Nii Moi Thompson said assessment was a national household survey aimed at answering question whether the Capitation Grant was achieving its objectives. He said the survey had discovered that about 85% of all households who have children in public pre-schools pay some form of levies and charges.
The report also captured why the schools were still charging levies, as the capitation grant constitute only 38% of the institutions’ total expenditure, he added. “Under the Capitation Grant scheme, public schools in Ghana are entitled to receive GH¢4.50 per enrolled pupil per academic year. The funds are to be used principally for the day-to-day running of the school,” he said.
He continued that the inability of the schools to ensure the total elimination of these levies, fees and other charges are as a result of inadequate allocation of funds, delay in the release of funds, inconsistencies in the applications, management procedure and high transaction cost.
He disclosed that a number of recommendations were advanced by the report to address these challenges, especially the untimely release of funds to ensure consistency in vetting school. Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Minister of Education, in a sharp response referred to the 11 levies, fees and charges as illegal.
She said the introduction of the Capitation Grant has enhanced enrolment in pre-schools, but it could not justify why there was still high absenteeism in schools. The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Seth Terpker also attributed the delay of allocation of funds to the Education Ministry, Ghana Education Service (GES) and the schools’ inability to release accurate figures for the funds.
He said the Ministry finds it difficult to release funds to the schools because of disparities in figures submitted to his outfit by the Education sector. The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGFSP), Nana Oye Lithur also affirmed her decision to support and protect children. She said policies such as child and family welfare and justice for children are directed to provide safe and conducive environment for children to survive.