Teacher Trainees Reject Allowance Stoppage Published on September 11, 2013 A Group Picture of TTAG- Volta A Group Picture of TTAG- Volta The Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana, Volta Sector (TTAG-Volta), has resolved to hit the streets soon to demonstrate against government’s decision to scrap the allowances of teacher trainees entering the various colleges of education, this year. A communiqué issued and copied to DAILY GUIDE, after an executive council meeting of the association in Ho at the weekend, said the decision, when implemented, would worsen the plight of the trainees who depend on the allowances to support their education. The communiqué, signed by TTAG-Volta President, Shittie Prosper, stated that “teacher trainees go through a lot during training to equip themselves in order to give off their best to this nation and thus need the penny that is being paid as allowance which is even taxed to purchase handouts, prepare teacher learning materials for practice, pay for facility user fees, registration fees, books among others.” The communiqué further stated the country’s annual teacher deficit of 60,000 would further worsen if government goes ahead to scrap trainee allowances. “The allowances were introduced to retain and motivate teachers to the only unattractive profession that most people disregard in this country.” The decision to scrap the allowances of fresh teacher trainees was announced by government a couple of months ago in order to increase enrollment into the 38 colleges of education but the students leaders from the seven education colleges in the Volta region, in the communiqué noted that government’s decision would rather discourage persons from entering the colleges since new trainees cannot meet their financial obligations in the colleges without the allowances. It noted that “Colleges of Education are neither universities nor polytechnics. Colleges of Education have different but equally important mandate, we are different and our roles are different. “We should not in anyway be compared to any other tertiary institutions for the sake of our tertiary status, we have different calling as teachers to teach, mould and train the feeble mind.” The communiqué further called on government to take pragmatic measures to provide adequate facilities and infrastructure in the existing colleges in order to increase enrollment rather than scrapping allowances. “We acknowledge government’s effort to train more teachers but certainly this is not the best way to go.” From Lambert Atsivor, Ho
Posted on: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 08:10:15 +0000
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