Education Ministry Clarifies Reports On Scrapping Of Teacher Trainee Allowance: "Wrong Impression"

Education Ministry Clarifies Reports On Scrapping Of Teacher Trainee Allowance: "Wrong Impression"

  • The Ministry of Education has clarified reports about the government scrapping the teacher trainee allowance
  • The ministry has described the reports as misleading and sensational in a press release
  • It also explained that it is only open to augmenting the financial needs of students in the Colleges of Education

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The Ministry of Education has dismissed reports about the government scrapping the teacher trainee allowance.

The ministry has described the reports as misleading and sensational. The Daily Graphic notably had this report on its front page.

Ministry of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, Tacher Trainees, Colleges of Education, Allowances
The Ministry of Education dismisses reports about the government scrapping the teacher trainee allowances. Source: Ministry of Education GH
Source: Facebook

In a statement, it clarified that it is only open to augmenting the financial needs of students in the Colleges of Education.

"To this end, he indicated that the government would seek to consider an enhanced loan scheme for students in this category, if need be."
"In addition, the Minister was emphatic that Government would maintain the allowances until further deliberations and a firm agreement is reached with all stakeholders."

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The previous Mahama administration, in a move unpopular with trainees, scrapped the allowances in 2016.

The allowances were reintroduced by the Akufo-Addo government after Ghanaians voted out John Mahama in 2016.

Initial reports on comments from Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu indicated that allowances would be scrapped gradually.

He also said the government could not be feeding students in colleges of education.

“There is no way you should be feeding a student at the tertiary level. We can narrow feeding to basic and free senior high schools but at the tertiary level, students should be able to take care of themselves.

The minister made the announcement when he met with the leadership of the Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education, Ghana (PRINCOF) in Accra last week.

About the trainee allowance

The Teacher Trainee Allowance Policy was introduced in the year 1960 as part of Kwame Nkrumah's education policy to attract more people to the teaching profession.

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All teacher trainees in public colleges of education, irrespective of their social status, were eligible for this allowance.

The teacher trainee allowance was designed to attract people into teacher training to obtain an adequate number of teachers within the shortest possible time.

The introduction of the allowance was also intended to enable trainees to purchase teaching and learning materials and settle other personal needs.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Delali Adogla-Bessa avatar

Delali Adogla-Bessa (Current Affairs Editor) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.