Sefwi Wiaso Residents Accuse DCE Of Undermining Gov’t

Residents at Sefwi-Wiaso have accused their District Chief Executive of ordering headmasters of various schools in the district to prevent students from writing their terminal examination unless they pay a specified amount for the exams. Parents of the students have been asked to pay five and three cedis per student before their wards would be allowed to participate in their impending examinations for the term. Despite government's intervention to subsidize the cost on education materials, the District Chief Executive, whose name was given as Ackaah Santana, is said to have remained adamant on his decision. Government's capitation policy is one of its social intervention policies implemented to ameliorate the challenges relating to the release of funds. This therefore exempts students from bearing extra costs on education materials which include taking examination. The capitation grant, which begun under Ex-President Kufour's administration, was strengthened by the Mills-Mahama government. Nonetheless, according to a resident's account, Mr. Asiedu Alexander, a member of the National Pensioners Association, primary pupils are supposed to pay 3 GHC while Junior High School students will have to pay 5 GHC. Mr. Asiedu complained bitterly during an interview with Peacefmonline.com, stating that his worry is the fact that "the government's capitation grant covers these costs but the DCE would not heed the call of the parents in the district and has ordered all headmasters to send the students back home if they don't pay the money." He therefore appealed to the DCE to be considerate towards the plight of the families and allow the students to participate in the examinations.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana