Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), has raised concerns regarding the government’s decision to continue providing allowances to students at colleges of education.
Asare argues that these funds could instead be used to feed approximately three million basic school children across the country.
Taking to his social media page, Asare questioned, “Where lies the wisdom in GoG feeding adult tertiary students in CoE when about 3 million public basic school children, including many in Tatale-Sanguli, are not fed?”
SEE ALSO: Teacher Trainee Allowance to Stay, Transition to Loan Scheme Planned – Education Minister
The topic of teacher trainees receiving allowances from the government has been a subject of debate following reports suggesting that the government plans to replace these allowances with an enhanced student loan scheme.
In response, the Ministry of Education on February 4, 2025, issued a press release, describing the reports as “sensational” and “misleading.”
The Ministry clarified that the reports did not accurately reflect comments made by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu during the meeting with the Executives of the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF).
The Ministry explained that the government is exploring ways to support the financial needs of students in Colleges of Education, including the potential for an enhanced loan scheme.
The Minister emphasized that the government would maintain the existing teacher trainee allowances “until further deliberations and a firm agreement is reached with all stakeholders.”
However, Kofi Asare continues to question the necessity of the government feeding adult tertiary students.
SEE ALSO: Ministry of Education Debunks Teacher Trainee Allowance Cancellation Reports
In a related development, Razak Soale, President of the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana, has also responded to the government’s decision to replace the allowance with an enhanced loan scheme.
Speaking on the Oyarepa TV morning show on February 4, 2025, Soale argued that canceling the allowance would be detrimental to trainees across colleges of education.
He emphasized that the government should not only maintain the existing allowance but also increase it from GH₵400 a month to GH₵1,000.
Soale highlighted that colleges of education lack the necessary facilities compared to traditional universities, making it challenging for students to fend for themselves.
He added that trainees are not allowed to cook due to inadequate facilities, and requiring them to start feeding themselves would create significant issues.
Soale revealed that the association plans to engage with the Minister in the coming days to discuss the proposed transition to a loan scheme.