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About 79 second cycle institutions in the three regions of the North risk closure, if government fails to defray the accumulated debt associated with the Capitation Grant.

Reports indicate that food suppliers to the affected schools have withdrawn their services and waiting for government’s response.

The Coalition of Parent Teacher Associations of second cycle institutions in the three regions of the north has served notice that it will embark on a series of demonstrations over the developments.

At a news conference, the Tamale Metropolitan Secretary of the Coalition, Woadrago Isaac said the suppliers have abandoned the schools due to government’s continuous indebtedness.

According to Woadrago, government has only paid 50 percent of the feeding grant debt for the third term of the 2013/14 academic season.

This according to him, forced the food suppliers to withdraw their services.

He noted that the regional network of parent teacher association with support from Tampata a local PTA network and the centre for active learning and integrated learning, conducted an investigation which also showed that “Senior High School heads are barely managing to feed students and may not be able to do so for the rest of the term if the grants are not forthcoming.”

The suppliers are no longer willing to advance food stuffs on credit to the schools concerned or may do so at a higher cost.

Woadrago maintained that no amount of persuasion will stop the planned demonstrations unless government defrays the debt.