Editorial
Cultivate habit of farming to supplement school feeding
There is no doubt that the recent holidays that Ghanaians enjoyed because of the Eid ul Fitr festival provided them with a welcome opportunity to relax as the weekend ended to Tuesday.
Despite that, some were extremely happy because for many parents whose wards attend private schools, it was a welcome break from having to pay the school feeding fee for at least two days.
This was the basis for some parents’ praise of the extra holiday that was added to the Eid ul Fitr celebrations in addition to the weekend.
Our reporter’s interviews showed that many parents, particularly those with two or three children, now find it extremely difficult to pay the school feeding fee despite their desire to let their children be in private schools.
Such parents with lower incomes have embraced holidays because according to the Head of a school some parents always approach school officials when a holiday is approaching, knowing that there will be a day without the dreaded meal cost.
Although most schools do not require children to buy school food at all cost and allow them to bring food from home, it has become common for these children to refuse to eat food prepared by parents.
Although it appears that parents are satisfied with the services provided to their children, they continue to complain about the high cost, which they believe is excessive and relate it to the high price of food.
According to the Spectator’s checks with certain parents and schools children are charged between GH¢15 and GH¢20 each day for the food that is supplied to them.
In addition to school tuition, books, food, and snacks, a mother of three finds it outrageous to spend GH¢60 a day for a feeding cost, which adds up to GH¢300 a week.
It was obvious that she was really satisfied about the recent holidays as she saved a total of GH¢120 Ghana.
A caterer told The Spectator that, aside from the difficulty they face in creating a budget that works for schools, they cannot be held responsible for the rise in the cost of the meals served to schoolchildren because of the high cost of food items on the market.
To ease their burden, The Spectator is urging schools to grant parents with two children or more a discount. Single parents have even expressed that it is difficult to pay Gh¢150 every week.
Additionally, schools should cultivate some area for farming activities in order to support the feeding of schoolchildren. Then, they can use the produce to complement the children’s meals.
Getting the children involved will help them develop the agricultural habit so they may carry that enthusiasm into their future endeavours.
Purchasing food in bulk is one strategy that caterers might use to lower the feeding charge in addition to cultivating a habit of farming to supplement school feeding.
Dear Editor,
I AM writing to draw your attention to the inadequate street lights in some parts of Wawase, a situation that continues to pose serious concerns for residents.
Street lights play a crucial role in ensuring safety and security within a community. Unfortunately, several areas in Wawase are completely without functioning street lights.
This has made movement at night very difficult and dangerous, especially for workers, students, and traders who return home late.
The lack of proper lighting has also created an enabling environment for criminal activities such as theft and harassment. Residents often live in fear, and some are forced to limit their movements after dark. Additionally, poor visibility increases the risk of road accidents, putting both pedestrians and drivers at risk.
It is concerning that despite the growing population and development in Wawase, this basic infrastructure issue remains unresolved.
I would like to appeal to the relevant authorities, including the local assembly and electricity providers, to urgently address this problem by installing new street lights and repairing faulty ones.
Ensuring adequate street lights will not only improve security but also enhance the overall quality of life for residents in the area.
Gwen Mensah, Agona Swedru
Dear Editor,
FOR some time now, I have been deeply concerned about the state of the Kaneshie footbridge, which has over the years developed cracks, exposing some rusted metal parts and raising safety concerns.
It is, therefore, welcome news for daily users of the facility like myself that a team from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), led by the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), visited the facility and announced a temporary closure to allow for maintenance work to be carried out.
While I wish to commend the Assembly for the move, I believe it has been long overdue.
I often find it difficult to understand why, as a country, we sit, wait, and watch for preventable incidents or tragedies to happen before we react. I say this because the issue of the bad state of the Kaneshie footbridge has been one that has been re-echoed by many who use it on a daily basis.
I believe that as the Assembly looks to start the maintenance works on the footbridge, it is also important for it and other Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to pay attention to other footbridges across the country that are in a similar state.
The time has come for Ghana, as a country, to be more proactive than reactive.
I will also urge the assemblies to deploy their respective teams to always check on footbridges across the country to ensure that they are in good shape to avoid any tragedy that could lead to the loss of human lives.
From Fafa, Kaneshie
