Government has debunked and described as misleading, allegations raised by the Propaganda Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fiifi Kwetey, on the Capitation Grant and the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP).

Fiifi Kwetey said the government's efforts in developing basic education in Ghana in those areas are negligible.

But Mr. Frank Agyekum, Deputy Minister of Information and National Orientation, told host of Joy Super Morning Show, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, the NDC was just being mischievous about the GSFP.

“For anybody to sit anywhere and pretend or try to confuse the public that this thing is not making any impact, that person is really living in his own deceitful paradise,” he said.

He said about 477,000 school children in 980 public primary schools get free “hot meal” a day across the country, and the number would be increased in due course.

Mr. Agyekum also said the allegation by Fiifi Kwetey on the Capitation Grant is false and explained that the government spends GHc3 on a child per a term and not academic year as the NDC put it.

“This shows how deceptive the NDC are,” he said.

The Deputy Minister said the GSFP and the Capitation Grant have increased enrolment in basic schools.

“By 2000, the number of school enrolled in kindergarten was about 500,000, today it stands about 1.2 million…in terms of primary education, the percentage increase between then and now is about 90%.”

Mr. Agyekum said the NPP should be credited with the improvement of welfare of school children.

Fiifi Kwetey however, maintained that the Ghana School Feeding Programme covers only 9% of pupils across the country and with the Capitation Grant, he said government pays only three Ghana cedis on a child annually.

He stated that facts being put out by the government on both issues are not the reality on the ground.

“The truth of the matter is that expenditure on education by parent today continues to be very high.”



Story by Isaac Essel