The National Secretary of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Primus Baro, says ongoing delays in the release of funds for school feeding and operational needs have become a recurring challenge under Ghana’s education system, warning that heads of schools may be forced into difficult decisions if urgent intervention is not made.

Speaking on JoyNews’ News Desk, Mr Baro said the situation is not new and has recurred at various times since the introduction of the Free Senior High School policy.

“Let me indicate also that this is not the first time that we’ve run into these challenges,” he said. “Right from the inception of Free Senior High School, occasionally we run into some periods when money is not released.”

His comments come in the wake of a stakeholder meeting convened by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu to address growing concerns over food supply and funding gaps in senior high schools. The meeting, however, ended without a clear resolution, raising fears among school authorities.

Heads of schools have since issued what they describe as a “red alert,” warning that a shutdown of second-cycle institutions could become inevitable if financial support is not urgently provided.

Mr Baro acknowledged the pressure on school managers, noting that they are often forced to work within constrained conditions.

“We are managers and managing management is part of leadership. So yes, it’s not been easy. It has never been easy,” he said.

He explained that CHASS is engaging the Education Ministry to find long-term solutions to recurring delays, particularly those affecting the smooth running of the academic calendar.

According to him, school heads are hoping for urgent intervention to avoid disruptions.

“We hope we will not get there,” he said. “We are only saying that we hope and pray that by the close of day today we will receive news that the issue has been resolved so that the smooth sailing calendar will not be affected.”

He added that, as of the time of the interview, CHASS had not received any formal communication confirming a resolution of the matter.