The annual super zonal sports competition by the Ghana Education service for senior high schools in the Eastern region has been canceled due to financial challenges facing the schools.
The competition was scheduled to come to begin on July 25, 2022, with the main camp at Koforidua Secondary Technical School (SECTECH) with two other sub-camps in Ghana SHS (GHANASS) and Pope John SHS Oti Boateng Senior High School and Pope John SHS
Some of the participating schools and their trainers arrived on Thursday but organizers of the event and the Conference of Heads of Government Assisted Secondary Schools, CHASS, at an emergency meeting decided to cancel the event over financial challenges as the government has failed to pay arrears to own the schools as part of the free Senior high school policy.
The recurrent fee structure of the free Senior high school education covers general stationery, first aid, maintenance of vehicles, building maintenance, sports fees, culture fees, sanitation fees, postage, and practical fees.
Others include maintenance of machines/tools, examination fees, entertainment fees, SRC dues, and co-curricular activities.
The rest are laboratory supplies, development levy, house dues, and technical training materials (for TVET students only).
CHASS explained that the host schools will not be able to feed the athletes and buy the needed sporting materials for the event.
The cancellation has left sporting students from seven zones frustrated and stranded.
The cancellation of the Eastern Regional Zonal Sports competition means the Eastern region will mt be represented in the National sports festival on 20th October, in Takoradi.
Sports competitions in Schools help to unearth talents in athletics, soccer, and other sports disciplines for the country.
Some of the students talented in various disciplines get scholarship opportunities to universities abroad.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
