TTAG embarks on demonstration

A petition signed by Mr Mohammed Amin Mansiru, National President of TTAG, Mr Seidu Ahmed, National Coordinator as well as all other sector executives of TTAG and made available to the Ghana News Agency said, despite several pleas by teacher trainees and numerous calls by stakeholders on the government to rescind its decision of scrapping teacher trainees allowance had remained intransigent.

It said the decision and change of policy on teacher education would be detrimental to the future of education in the country taking into consideration the historical antecedent that led to the implementation of allowance scheme and the positive effect it had on teacher education in particular and basic education in general over the years.

We want to bring to the notice of the president that, as it stands now, about forty per cent of level hundred students are not able to return to college, even those who reported were sent home because they could not pay the exorbitant feeding fees, it said.

The petition, however, noted that not only had the decision resulted in sending students home but also it was affecting academic work greatly.

It, therefore, as a matter of urgency called on the government to intervene immediately by restoring the allowance for the trainees to be able them to pay their feeding fee and other bills, adding, We therefore want to state emphatically that the teacher trainees allowance should be reintroduced immediately due to the following reasons;

The scheme was instituted to serve as a motivation and attraction of quality teachers to the low paid teaching profession.

The allowance have served as a poverty alleviation intervention over the years in the sense that families who cannot afford the exorbitant fees of other tertiary institutions in the country have had as a last resort to send their wards to colleges of education in their bid to have their lives transformed and made better by these wards.

Trainees on out-programme segment depend on the allowance greatly for their teaching and learning materials, payments of rent, utility bills among others.

The allowance also assist trainees in the payment of feeding fees, examination fees, buying of text books and hand outs

The petition observed that TTAG had also received a directive from the Ministry of Finance that payment of allowances to level 300 teacher trainees will cease after June, immediately they finish their course.

Receiving the petition, Mr Donnan Tay, Director In-Charge of Tertiary Education at the Education Ministry commended TTAG for using the right channel and that he would forward it to the appropriate quarters.

GNA

Comments:
This article has 0 comment, leave your comment.