The deputy ranking member of the education select committee of parliament, Dr Clement Apaak, has bemoaned the unavailability of funds to enable basic schools to prepare for the upcoming inter-circuits sports competition.

This comes on the back of preparations by the Sports and Culture Unit to organise the competition.

According to Dr Apaak, basic schools are struggling to fund their sporting activities due to the government’s refusal to disburse capitation grants.

A statement issued by the Builsa South MP in solidarity with the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools,  said: “It has come to the attention of the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (COHBS) that, the Sports and Culture Unit is prepping to organise Inter Circuits Sports Competition and has therefore charged the various Circuit Sports Secretaries to prepare their teams towards the aforementioned competitions with the key objective of selecting players to form the District Team. 

“There is a saying in Akan: ‘y3n kote aduro mmraa 3noa ne ahahan’. To wit, money is key in the aforementioned competitions.”

He noted: “In preparing the Circuits’ Teams, Schools usually pay or contribute monies (Affiliation Fee) but it is crystal clear that no school in the District can boast of a dime in the School’s coffers.

“It is also paramount to note that most of the Heads used their own meagre salaries to cater for the Inter-Schools Gala Competitions that were held last term because the Capitation Grant disbursed was woefully inadequate.”

“We (COHBS) wish to bring it to the attention of the Sports and Culture Unit that we love our students and wish they thrive in their various fields but we have sacrificed enough and this time our resources have been depleted therefore we are not in the position to finance any activities with our meagre salaries.”

Dr Apaak indicated that he “omitted the name of the District as well as the District representative of the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (COHBS) to protect him/her from victimisation.”

In his view, the basic school system is collapsing under the Akufo-Addo-led government.

"Our public basic school system is collapsing, the sooner we all call on the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government to disburse the Capitation Grant, the better for the future of Ghana," he added.