Credit: Kekeli K. Blamey
The government has announced plans to replace the teacher trainee allowance with an enhanced student loan scheme, according to the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu.
The minister explained that the current allowance system will be phased out gradually, with the loan scheme running parallel to the allowances initially. This will give students the option to choose before the full transition takes place.
Mr. Iddrisu stated that the decision to transition to a loan scheme is based on the idea that students at the tertiary level should be able to take care of themselves. “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,” he said.
The minister made these comments during a meeting with the leadership of the Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education, Ghana (PRINCOF) in Accra.
The PRINCOF president, Professor Samuel Awinkene Atintono, raised concerns about stalled infrastructure projects, emphasizing the need for additional hostel facilities, science and ICT laboratories, and general classroom improvements.
Mr. Iddrisu acknowledged the challenges facing colleges of education, including infrastructural and logistical issues, and assured the principals that the government is committed to improving conditions, despite budgetary constraints.
