The Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (COHBS) has made an earnest plea to the government for a car waiver to assist its members in acquiring vehicles to enhance their daily activities. The call comes in light of the observation that their counterparts in the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools are provided with pick-up vehicles for their professional tasks, while COHBS members lack such resources.
Mr. Rashid Alaru Fusheini, the National Financial Secretary of COHBS, articulated this request during an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga, on the sidelines of a Regional Council meeting encompassing executives from 15 municipalities and districts in the region. The gathering served as a platform for heads of basic schools to deliberate on their welfare and other pressing concerns.
Highlighting the transport disparity, Mr. Fusheini stressed the necessity for the government to introduce a waiver to enable basic school heads to afford portable cars, emphasizing the adverse impact the lack of transportation has on their official duties and interaction hours with students, particularly for those who also serve as classroom teachers.
In addition to the car waiver appeal, COHBS leadership urged their employer to ensure the payment of their responsibility allowance based on percentage bases, proposing a minimum of 20% of their base pay.
Touching on the supply of educational materials, Mr Fusheini underscored the urgency of ensuring that basic schools receive all required textbooks, especially considering the implementation of the new curriculum, urging management to expedite the distribution process before the end of the academic year.
Commending the Upper East Regional leadership of COHBS for their proactive stance, Mr. Hamid Abdul-Wahab Adam, the Regional Chairman of the Conference, emphasized the critical need for essential Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs) to facilitate effective school operations. He further encouraged members to mechanize their dues at the Controller and Accountant General's Department to streamline the Conference's activities.