The National President of the Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education, Ghana (PRINCOF), Professor Samuel Awinkene Atintono, has called on the government to raise the feeding fee per teacher trainee from the GH¢10.00 to at least GH¢30.00 daily.
Speaking at the 2023 annual PRINCOF Conference held in Bolgatanga on Monday, November 27, 2023, Prof. Atintono stated that the current feeding fee is insufficient.
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Expressing his gratitude for the government’s support in providing the allowances for the past years, Prof. Atintono emphasized the need for an immediate action to address the shortcomings of the current GH¢10.00 per day feeding fee.
Prof added that, government increasing the feeding fee will help to alleviate pressures on both principals and students, as princpals would be able afford more nutritional food items for trainees which will help boost their overall well-being and academic performance.
Furthermore, Professor Atintono urged the government to expedite the processing and disbursement of the allowance to prevent delays.
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He highlighted the challenges faced by principals who, due to delayed in payments of the grants, are forced to make credit purchases at higher prices.
According to him, this situation often results in financial losses for the principals as the trainee allowances when later paid do not cover the additional credit charges.
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In addition to discussing the feeding fee, Professor Atintono highlighted other critical issues impacting teacher education in Ghana.
He drew attention to the infrastructure deficits in Colleges of Education, such as inadequate residential facilities, limited lecture halls, and weak ICT infrastructure.
He asserted that the increasing number of applicants, resulting from the free senior high school policy, necessitates urgent improvements in infrastructure in the colleges to meet the growing demand.
Additionally, Prof. Atintono raised concerns about the lack of transportation for student teachers to reach practice schools, which often leads to long walks and potential safety risks.
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He shared the tragic incident involving a principal’s accident, underscoring the pressing need for modern vehicles and appealing to organizations like GTEC and the Ministry of Education for support in this regard.