The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, has reaffirmed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s strong commitment to addressing longstanding challenges confronting second-cycle education in Ghana, disclosing that GH¢1.1 billion has been spent on student feeding alone since the party assumed office.
Speaking at the official launch of the 50th anniversary celebration of Zambezi Secondary Technical School (ZAMSE) in Bolgatanga, Dr Apaak said the significant investment in feeding is aimed at ensuring students receive nutritious, balanced, and sufficient meals to create a conducive environment for effective learning.
“Since we took over the reins of governance, the NDC government has spent GH¢1.1 billion on only food to ensure that our wards get nutritious, balanced, sufficient food so that they can have the serenity of mind to study,” he stated.
Dr Apaak highlighted the reinstatement of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) as a deliberate policy decision to deepen stakeholder participation in school management. He expressed satisfaction with the active role PTAs are now playing in supporting schools to tackle pressing challenges.
“We stand by the decision to reinstate PTAs because, working together with school authorities, the government, and the Ghana Education Service, we can collectively address many of these challenges,” he noted.
The Deputy Minister further revealed that the government has expanded the Free Secondary Education policy to include private schools, while allocating an unprecedented GH¢4.2 billion in the 2026 budget specifically for secondary education. According to him, this level of funding is unmatched in Ghana’s history.
“This has never happened before. Even those who claim to be the originators of free secondary education could not allocate such an amount,” Dr Apaak stressed.
To ensure sustainability, he announced that secondary education funding has now been secured under the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) following the passage of an amendment bill in Parliament. This, he explained, provides a dedicated and reliable source of financing for the sector.
Dr Apaak, who was representing the Minister for Education, acknowledged the numerous infrastructural and logistical challenges facing ZAMSE, including inadequate infrastructure, uncompleted projects, lack of workshops, teacher accommodation, toilet facilities, furniture, beds, and a dining hall, as well as encroachment on school lands.
He assured stakeholders that these concerns would be relayed to the minister, adding that efforts are already underway to address them.
Describing himself as a “son of the region”, Dr Apaak pledged to serve as a constant reminder to ensure the issues confronting the school receive urgent attention.
He concluded by noting that although the NDC government has been in office for less than a year, noticeable improvements, particularly in student feeding, are already evident.
“For students moving to Year Three, the difference in food quality and quantity from Year One to now is like night and day,” he remarked.
The event brought together old students, education officials, traditional leaders, and community members to celebrate five decades of technical education excellence at ZAMSE.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
