Spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has accused the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) of engaging in a “turf war” that he claims is affecting the implementation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.

According to Yaw Opoku Mensah, a disagreement over the admission numbers of about 60,000 students has resulted in delays in the release of funds to schools, creating financial difficulties for school authorities.

In a statement, Mr Opoku Mensah alleged that the government had not released funds to schools to support the current Form Two students, forcing some schools to operate on credit.

“There is a worrying development with the implementation of Free SHS, where the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service are fighting over the admission numbers of about 60,000 students, which they seem unable to resolve, resulting in the non-release of funds for smooth administration and school life,” he said.

He further alleged that some items previously supplied to students free of charge, including uniforms and housedresses, were no longer being provided by some schools.

“Items that were supplied free, like uniforms, housedresses, and others, are not sold to students by some schools,” he claimed.

Mr Opoku Mensah also alleged that some heads of schools had been threatened with dismissal if they spoke publicly about the situation.

He warned that if the alleged impasse between the Ministry and GES is not resolved, it could have serious consequences for the continued operation of some schools.

“If care is not taken, the situation may lead to the closure of schools in the coming days as a result of this impasse between the Ministry and GES,” he said.

He described reports of schools selling items that were previously provided free of charge as a “silent protest” over the alleged funding challenges.

“The development and report of sales is a silent protest from schools,” Mr Opoku Mensah added.