Trainees of public Colleges of Education have had the take home component of their monthly allowance slashed down.
A press statement issued by the Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana said the amount, which has been reduced to GH¢149 from GH¢204 per student, is to supplement the feeding of the trainees.
The reduction will kick in this academic year, the statement added.
“We have been informed that the allowance component of Trainees has been reduced to GH¢149.00 based on the request from PRINCOF to the Ministry of Education last academic year to supplement the feeding of Trainees, effective this academic year”.
Explaining what necessitated the decision in an interview on Breakfast Today, Principal of St. John Bosco’s College of Education, Prof. Joseph Amikuzuno said government allocates GH¢400 monthly to each trainee.
Out of this amount, GH¢204 is paid to the student as pocket money and the remainder – an amount of GH¢196 – paid to the colleges to cater for their meals.
However, following the hikes in prices of commodities, the amount per head, which translated into GH¢6.50 a day, became inadequate to provide 3 square meals for the trainees.
As a result, the Conference of Principals of College of Education (PRINCOF) proposed an increment of the feeding fees.
He said government initially agreed to the proposal but backtracked later.
The government’s U-turn, he indicated, had left PRINCOF with little options but to provide just one meal a day while the students cater for the rest of their feeding.
“It was agreed with the ministry that 10 cedis should be given to the colleges, the principals to be able to feed the trainees. But unfortunately after the engagement, government came up with the idea that they could not increase the budget”.
He continued “so with this PRINCOF also decided if that was the case, 6.5 isn’t enough to serve 3 square meals per day. So we would provide the trainees with just one meal”.
But after engaging the leadership of the trainees, they agreed to cede part of their pocket allowance to cater for their meals and the decision has since been communicated to the Finance Ministry.
