The Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS) has reiterated the need for public discourse and a possible review of the Free Senior High School policy.

This follows a recent appeal to parents to provide adequate provisions for their wards to help address the ongoing feeding challenges in the various SHSs across the country.

Speaking to Citi News, the National Secretary of CHASS, Primus Baro, attributed the delays in food supplies to the centralisation of food distribution and stressed the urgency of resolving the issue to avert a possible closure of schools.

“The issue about this centralisation of food supply is that the system is not the best. So we have always asked that we get back to the old system. We are not saying give us money. We are saying that allow the schools to do the procurement, and then we buy the food items from within our environment.

“Each school will develop its menu, get the food items that are within the environment, and then we cook. It makes things much better than centralising the procurement of food items. I am surprised that eight years down the line, there has never been any form of engagement to look at the system.”