Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has revealed that the government will maintain the teacher trainee allowance “for the time being,” providing continued financial support to students in the Colleges of Education.
The Minister disclosed this during a meeting with some principals of Colleges of Education at his office over the weekend in Accra.
“But more importantly you raise the issue of student allowances, it will continue. The continuation of student allowances is crucial, as it directly impacts the well-being and future prospects of students,” Mr. Iddrisu said.
However, he revealed plans to eventually transition these students onto an enhanced student loan scheme.
This future move, according to the Minister, is intended to “promote autonomy and self-sufficiency among students, ensuring they can take care of themselves without relying solely on allowances.”
“There is no way you should be feeding a student at the tertiary level offhand. We will work out a transition from the allowance into an enhanced student loan for them to feed themselves, but in the interim, they will still get the allowance,” he added.
According to the Minister, the timeline for this transition will be guided by the recommendations that will arise from the upcoming national education dialogue proposed by President John Dramani Mahama.
The education conference, scheduled for February 17th to 20th, will bring together stakeholders to discuss various challenges facing the country’s education sector, including those impacting Colleges of Education.
Mr. Iddrisu acknowledged the significant challenges faced by the colleges, including “infrastructure deficits and lack of academic facilities.”
He assured that the government is committed to addressing these issues and will allocate funds accordingly, although he admitted that competing demands from other educational levels may influence allocations.
“When I say inadequate in the sense that we have to share the bread and we have to share it from preschool, junior high school, senior high school, tertiary but we particularly take note of you,” he assured.
For his part, the President of the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), Professor Samuel Awinkene Atintono, highlighted several challenges facing the education sector, emphasizing the need for urgent attention from the Ministry of Education.
“As you call on us, there’s always need for us to dialogue, and I’ll probably give you an update to let you see how the colleges are standing, what are the issues,” he said.
Prof. Atintono noted that despite the progress made in implementing degree programs in colleges of education, several challenges persisted.
He also expressed concern about the delayed payment of allowances, which has caused hardship for teacher trainees, and appealed to the minister to intervene and ensure that the allowances were paid promptly to ensure that students were comfortable to learn effectively.
Furthermore, the professor drew attention to the issue of infrastructure deficits in colleges of education, adding that many institutions lack basic facilities, including classrooms, libraries, and operational vehicles.
“I would want you to take note and kindly intervene, otherwise, it becomes an issue and this impedes the learning process,” he said.
The upcoming education dialogue is expected to provide a platform for a comprehensive discussion about the future of teacher training in Ghana, including the proposed transition from allowances to a loan scheme.
Stakeholders will also deliberate on strategies to improve infrastructure and academic facilities in the Colleges of Education.
Reported by Coleman publications
