The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has expressed surprise and disappointment over recent remarks made by the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, concerning the quality of food served in senior high schools.
The Minister recently raised concerns about what he described as “poor quality” meals in schools and suggested that the government might reconsider its decision to allow headteachers and bursars to directly procure food—a key policy outlined in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) education manifesto.
Under the current arrangement, schools are permitted to purchase food locally, a move aimed at improving efficiency and quality in the school feeding programme.
Responding to the Minister’s comments, CHASS National Secretary Primus Baro said there have been no official complaints about poor food quality from any school.
Baro stated that feedback from across the country has, in fact, shown noticeable improvements since the decentralised procurement system was introduced.
“We’ve not received any formal reports indicating poor food quality. On the contrary, many schools report better outcomes under the current system,” Baro said.
He added that while CHASS is not necessarily insisting on retaining the decentralised approach, the shift was made in response to longstanding challenges with the previous centralised model—particularly delays and the supply of substandard food items.
“We’re open to whatever system the government decides on,” Baro noted, “but if central procurement returns, we expect timely delivery in the right quantities.”
He also urged the Ministry to handle such issues through internal consultation rather than public statements, warning that isolated incidents could be misrepresented as systemic failures.
Regarding funding, Baro acknowledged that schools had recently experienced delays in disbursements due to administrative transitions, but confirmed that funds have now been released, even though some arrears remain.
