The Principals of the 47 Colleges of Education in Ghana are asking the government to raise the monthly allowance for teacher trainees.
Right now, students get 400 Ghana cedis, but the Principals say this is not enough. They are asking the government to increase it to 1,000 cedis.
Professor Atintono, who speaks for the group, said, “The current amount doesn’t meet the basic needs of trainees, especially their feeding. We’re urging government to urgently review it.” Right now, only 8 cedis a day is used to feed each student. The principals believe this amount is too small.
They also suggested a new idea. Professor Atintono said, “It’s time we rethink the feeding system in the colleges. Allow the students to manage their own meals with a more reasonable allowance“.
This means instead of the schools feeding students with the small amount, the money should be given to the trainees directly, so they can buy their own food.
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, responded to their request. He said, “Government is committed to reviewing the allowance and responding swiftly to your concerns.” This means the government is listening and might soon take action.
The principals also asked the government to improve their conditions of service—how they are treated and paid as school leaders.
One of them said, “We deserve fair conditions that reflect our contribution to teacher training in this country.” The Education Minister agreed, saying, “We’ll work to ensure your conditions of service are addressed promptly.”
On top of that, the principals asked for official vehicles and help to improve infrastructure—like school buildings and facilities. The Minister promised to work with GETFund to finish at least 10 abandoned projects in the colleges.
In the coming weeks, the government is expected to give clear answers and solutions, as more people are supporting these calls for change in teacher training.
