The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has warned that second-cycle institutions across the country may be forced to shut down if immediate funding is not released to support feeding under the Free SHS programme.
The warning comes after a high-level meeting convened by Haruna Iddrisu ended without an agreement on how to resolve growing food shortages in schools.
School heads say the situation has become critical, particularly in the procurement of perishable items such as meat, eggs and vegetables, as delays in funding continue to affect supplies.
Although the Education Minister proposed that CHASS should continue independently purchasing perishable food items through support from GETFund, stakeholders failed to reach a final agreement.
The deadlock follows concerns raised by CHASS and the Conference of Principals of Technical Institutions over declining deliveries from the National Food Buffer Stock Company and the impact of inflation on school feeding budgets.
According to school authorities, some headteachers have already begun using personal funds and depending on credit from local suppliers to keep kitchens running and prevent disruptions to student meals.
CHASS warned that if the crisis is not addressed quickly, schools may have no option but to send students home, a move that could disrupt the academic calendar and preparations for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
The feeding component of the Free SHS programme currently supports more than 1.2 million students nationwide, making the outcome of ongoing negotiations critical for the continuity of schooling across the country.
