The Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana (TTAG) has firmly rejected suggestions by Michael Donyina Mensah, Executive Director of the Center for Public Opinion and Awareness, for the cancellation of teacher and nursing trainee allowances.
In a statement signed by the National Coordinator of TTAG, the association said it has noted with “deep concern” the recent call for allowances to be scrapped, stressing that such a move is unacceptable and must never be considered.
“While we appreciate every citizen’s right to contribute to the national dialogue on education, I must state emphatically that the cancellation of allowances is not an option. Rather, what we must be discussing is how to strengthen and increase these allowances to reflect the sacrifices and unique roles of teacher trainees in the development of our nation,” the statement read.
According to TTAG, teacher trainees in public Colleges of Education “are not ordinary students” but future nation-builders being trained to serve in classrooms and nurture the next generation of Ghanaians.
The association emphasized that the allowance is not just financial support but a “symbol of recognition acknowledging the unique bond between teacher trainees and the state,” given that trainees are under government-regulated training, restricted from certain forms of employment, and posted to underserved communities after graduation.
The statement cautioned that scrapping allowances would worsen issues of access, equity, and motivation in teacher education. TTAG instead called for an increment in the package, noting that it would:
- Ease the financial burdens of trainees, especially those from less privileged backgrounds.
- Attract and retain talented young people into the teaching profession, thereby improving quality.
- Demonstrate government’s commitment to safeguarding education as the foundation of national progress.
Reaffirming its position, the association declared: “No to cancellation, yes to increment. Our future educators deserve better, and the allowance must be protected and enhanced, not scrapped.”
The statement concluded with TTAG’s assurance that as teacher trainees, they “mean well” and remain ready to dialogue with all stakeholders in shaping policies that uplift the teaching profession and, by extension, Ghana’s future.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
