Management of the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison has failed to register inmate candidates for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) due to lack of funding.
The development means inmates who had prepared to sit for the examination will be unable to write the papers despite months of academic preparation.
Speaking to Adom News, the facilitator in charge of the Complementary Education Agency (CEA) in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality assigned to the prison unit, Samuel Owusu Boaheng, described the situation as unfortunate.
According to him, financial constraints made it impossible for prison management to complete the registration process for the inmate candidates.
He appealed to organisations, churches, NGOs, and philanthropists to support the programme with funding and logistics to help provide formal education and employable skills training for inmates.
Meanwhile, the Central Regional Commander in charge of Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, Joseph Asabre, has appealed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Complementary Education Agency, Daniel Kwesi Ashiamah, to help secure school feeding support for inmate students.
He acknowledged the government’s recent increase in feeding grants for inmates but noted that the amount remains inadequate, especially for students who require regular meals to support their studies.
According to the prison command, enrolling inmate students onto the school feeding programme would significantly improve their welfare and learning conditions.
For his part, Daniel Kwesi Ashiamah appealed to the public and corporate organisations to partner the agency in constructing learning centres within prisons across the country.
He expressed appreciation to Nero Investment for pledging support towards the construction of five learning centres for selected prisons.
Mr Ashiamah made the appeal during a donation of learning materials to inmate learners at Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, where he also called on the Finance Minister to address issues relating to staff migration within the agency.
