Media urged to be circumspect with the Capitation Assessment Report

The Minister of state at the Presidency, Hon. Akwasi Oppong-Fosu, has called on the media not to focus only on the weaknesses or negatives of the capitation report in order to put into disrepute the name of some individuals or institutions in the country but rather make use of its outcome to effect change in the way things are done so that the people can enjoy maximum benefit from government interventions.
He  equally call on  all stakeholders  in the country to be more cautious in dealing with the content of the report in order not to step on toes but rather utilize it in a positive way to turn things around for good.

He said, “I wish to therefore use this opportunity to call on our stakeholders especially the media not to focus only on the weaknesses and negatives of the report to vilify certain individuals and institutions but use the outcome of the report to effect change in the way things are done so that people will get the maximum benefit from government interventions”. Hon Oppong-Fosu stated.

Hon. Akwasi Oppong-Fosu made the call at the launch of Citizen’s Assessment Survey report of the capitation grant organized by the National Development Planning Commission in Accra on Wednesday July, 29.

Mr. Oppong-Fosu also disclosed the office of the President has expressed delight to continuously collaborate with the NDPC in similar exercises. He said the Presidency also believes the funding of the capitation assessment report will help shape government plans.

He assured of the President’s commitment to work with the relevant sector Ministries including Ministers of Education and finance in resolving the emerging weaknesses that the study has revealed within the capitation assessment report.

Government introduced the capitation grant in 2004 on a pilot basis and scaled it up nationwide in 2005 with a per capita amount of GH 3.00 after an assessment indicted a significant increase in basic school enrolment in the pilot districts compared to the non-pilot districts. The current amount of GH 4.50 was introduced in 2009 and implemented across the country during the 2011/2012 academic year.

The Citizens’ Assessment Survey is a nationally representative household survey aimed at answering the questions whether the capitation grant is achieving its objectives of eliminating special levies and charges at the basic school level.

The 2014 Citizens’ Assessment Survey on the capitation grant scheme indicated that about 85% of all households who have children in public pre-schools still pay some form of levies and charges.

 The report also stated that though capitation grant has also eliminated payment of some of the levies and charges the overwhelming majority of households in Ghana still pay a variety of levies and charges for their children attending basic school even amongst the poorest 20% of the population where three out of four households pay levies and charges.

According to the report, the capitation grant only constituted 38% of the total expenditure of a school in the 2012/2013 academic year.

The report also shown that about 75% of households who have children in public primary schools pay levies and charges too.

The survey further highlighted a number of key challenges that hinder the effective implementation of the capitation grant scheme thus besides the inadequate allocation of funds to the schools delays in the release of funds, inconsistencies in the application and management procedures and high transaction costs.

Prof. Jane Nana Opoku Agyemang hinted that government will soon enroll an additional grants programme to make more funds available for school.

This, she maintained will help government completely eradicate the problem of additional charges and levies inconveniencing houses.