The minister cited the complex challenges associated with the school feeding programme as a reason for maintaining centralized control.

CHASS had expressed dissatisfaction with the prolonged delays in foodstuff disbursement to Senior High Schools (SHSs) nationwide during their 61st National Annual Conference.

In response to these concerns, they proposed that SHSs should have the autonomy to procure their food items, aiming to address logistical and operational challenges in food supply.

Reverend Steven Owusu Sekyere, President of CHASS, emphasized this need during the conference, stating that allowing schools to purchase their food items would streamline operations and eliminate challenges in food distribution.

However, in an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum argued that relinquishing control over the food system did not guarantee a seamless process. He highlighted historical challenges faced by schools in the Northern region during the Free Feeding era, where local management didn’t prevent disruptions.

“You know once upon a time, there was something called the school feeding programme in the North and it was controlled by the school and every now and then schools were shut down so it is not a panacea that the fact that you control it means that there will be no glitches, that’s not the point.

“The point of the matter is that you set up systems and you improve upon it. For instance, last year we did our procurement and it was sent to certain locations in the regions and it’s been working, so the bottom line is that if I control then everything will be great.”