The Deputy Minister of Education-designate, Dr. Clement Abass Apaak, has reassured Parliament that the teacher trainee allowance remains in place and there are no plans to discontinue the policy.
Speaking during his vetting before the Appointments Committee on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, Dr. Apaak addressed concerns regarding the future of the allowance, a subject that has sparked debate in recent years.
“The teacher trainee allowance has not been scrapped. I have no reason to believe that it will be scrapped because the minister has not indicated any such plans,” he affirmed.
Beyond the allowance, Dr. Apaak addressed a range of issues within the education sector, including inadequate infrastructure, examination malpractices, and the decline of school sports.
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Acknowledging the shortcomings in school infrastructure, he described the current situation as “unfit for the status and age of our nation.”
He attributed the problem to rapid population growth and the slow pace of expanding educational facilities and assured the committee that he would work with the Education Minister to complete stalled projects and improve existing facilities.
Addressing concerns over widespread examination malpractices, Dr. Apaak called for a national discussion on strengthening the integrity of examinations.
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He proposed measures such as serializing examination questions to prevent cheating.
“If students in the same exam room answer different questions on the same subject, it will be difficult for them to collude and cheat,” he explained.
Dr. Apaak also emphasized the need to provide the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) with sufficient resources to recruit and deploy its own invigilators, reducing reliance on external supervisors.