Ghana’s leading teacher unions have strongly criticized the government’s abrupt decision to revoke school heads’ authority to procure student meals, warning the policy reversal could exacerbate food quality issues and enable corruption.
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) expressed dismay over Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu’s June 18 announcement, which contradicts both the 2025 budget allocation of GH₵1 billion for student feeding and campaign promises to decentralize food procurement.
NAGRAT President Angel Carbonu questioned the timing and rationale behind the U-turn, suggesting vested interests may be driving the return to centralized procurement through the buffer stock system. “Politicians and private actors benefited financially from the old system,” Carbonu asserted, arguing that school heads are better positioned to ensure quality and accountability. TEWU General Secretary King James Azortibah linked current meal quality problems to systemic underfunding and delayed disbursements, noting that heads of 5,000-student schools cannot deliver adequate meals without reliable, timely resources.
The controversy highlights growing tensions over education sector reforms, with unions accusing the government of abandoning its pledge to empower school administrators despite allocating substantial feeding funds. As stakeholders await official justification for the policy shift, concerns mount about potential disruptions to student nutrition and the erosion of institutional trust in Ghana’s educational system.
