“Let Teacher Trainees Take Loans and Pay Back” - Franklin Cudjoe

The president of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjor has joined calls to abolish teacher training allowances and use the same to provide more infrastructures in the colleges of education which it is currently battling with.

Mr. Cudjor, speaking on the subject of infrastructure deficit crippling Colleges of Education on Joy News, stated, “let the people take loans and pay back. That's what we all did”. He furthered, “I don't see why we should be feeding grown-up people and at the same time giving them money for wanting to be teachers. I don't think that is a good use of our money.” He noted.

The President, when asked if the payment of trainees' allowances is one of the hindrances to providing infrastructure in the forty-six Public Colleges of Education noted, “Without doubt, it has definitely had. You ask yourself why it is being stopped now? It's because we've reached the point where clearly we cannot continue spending on services which are not necessarily needed.”

Meanwhile, according to Kwasi Kwarteng, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, he believes that scrapping of the allowances will not affect the infrastructure deficit marked by the Colleges. He explained that Basic Schools, Senior High Schools and even Public Universities also have infrastructural deficit, although they don't receive any allowances.

Background

Colleges of Education students at different levels reported to school on January 8,2022 amidst infrastructural deficit coupled with the current strike action by the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG). But, the classrooms and boarding facilities are inadequate to contain all of them. Just last year, the students spent only three months in school and spent the remaining months at home doing no academic activity.

By BricyBoateng (Self-Media Writer)