The Ministry of Education has denied claims of plans to phase away the teacher trainee allowance.
The Ministry has said that the news item does not accurately reflect the Minister’s statements.
Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Education, reportedly announced intentions to convert the teacher trainee stipend into an expanded student loan scheme, allowing students to pay for their own food and personal expenditures.
In his answer, the minister highlighted that, while allowances will be maintained temporarily, the government intends to progressively phase out the allowance system.
According to the Daily Graphic, the Tamale South MP made these remarks during a meeting with the leadership of Ghana’s Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF) in Accra last Thursday.
However, in a statement, the Ministry stated that the headline “Teacher Trainee Allowance to Go” is both sensational and misleading, as demonstrated by the story’s description.
“During his engagement with Executives of the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), the Minister stated that the government is willing to assist students in Colleges of Education with their financial needs.
“To that aim, he stated that the government would consider an enhanced loan system for students in this group, if necessary. Furthermore, the Minister was adamant that the government would retain the allowances until further negotiations and a firm agreement are achieved with all stakeholders,” according to the statement.
