The Executive Director of the Institute of Education Studies, Dr. Peter Anti, recently spoke about the dire infrastructure deficit at Ghana’s Colleges of Education.
He suggested that the only way for these institutions to have any hope of development is for teacher trainees to agree to sacrifice their allowances.
During an appearance on Joynews AM show on Monday, 22nd May 2023, Dr. Anti emphasized the importance of government attention in the development of these colleges.
However, he also acknowledged that the government has not been forthcoming with the necessary support. Therefore, he implored the trainees to commit to surrendering their allowances so that the government can use those funds to develop the facilities.
Dr. Anti explained that he had proposed this idea at a meeting of the trainees, but the majority responded with skepticism. They questioned whether the government would follow through on their end of the bargain if the trainees were to agree to forgo their allowances.
Despite this lack of enthusiasm from the trainees, Dr. Anti remained optimistic. He argued that if the students were committed to the cause, they could hold the government accountable if they failed to deliver on their promises.
The Director General of GTEC, Professor Mohammad Salifu, the Editor for Teacher Education Journal, Larry K Agbador, and the National President for PRINCOF, Prof Samuel Atintono were also present on the show to contribute to the discussion.
Dr. Anti expressed concern about the current state of the Colleges of Education, especially in light of their inadequate infrastructure, such as science and ICT laboratories.
He emphasized the importance of trainees being well-equipped to become effective teachers who can impart critical skills and knowledge to their students.
Many trainees may prefer to keep their stipends in their pockets than find a better place to sleep, but Dr. Anti argues that infrastructure development must be the priority. Dr. Concluded that the sacrifices made today by the trainees will benefit future generations of students and teachers.