Deputy Education Minister Warns of Sanctions for Heads Shortchanging Students on Meals

Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, has warned that heads of Senior High Schools found to be complicit in providing inadequate meals to students will face strict sanctions following investigations. Dr Apaak issued the caution in a Facebook post on Saturday, January 17, in response to concerns over student feeding at Savelugu Senior High School. His comments followed an official statement from the Ghana Education Service (GES) addressing allegations circulating on social media. “Our students deserve balanced, nutritious, and sufficient meals. Government has made sufficient funds available to ensure that,” Dr Apaak stated. He stressed that school administrators, including heads, matrons and bursars, would be held personally accountable for any actions that compromise students’ welfare. “Managers of our secondary schools whose conduct denies our students good meals would face severe consequences if found complicit,” he added. The warning follows the circulation of a video on social media alleging inadequate food provision at Savelugu Senior High School. In response, the GES confirmed it had taken note of the footage and had commenced investigations. “Management of the Ghana Education Service has sighted a video circulating on social media about an alleged food situation at Savelugu Senior High School,” the Service said in a statement. The GES reiterated that student feeding remains a top priority and described any misuse or mismanagement of resources as unacceptable. “Management takes the quality of student feeding very seriously, hence it prioritises quality feeding and views mismanagement as a serious offence,” the statement noted. The Service also sought to assure parents and the general public that the incident should not be seen as widespread. “Management wishes to assure the public, especially parents, that the incident at Savelugu Senior High School is an isolated case and does not reflect the overall feeding status nationwide,” it said. According to the GES, investigations are ongoing, with additional measures to strengthen monitoring in schools. “Investigations have been initiated into the matter,” the statement added, announcing that unannounced visits to schools would be intensified to prevent future occurrences.