Lecturer urges students’ leadership to sue govt over ‘discriminatory’ Teacher and Nursing trainee allowance

A Senior Lecturer at the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development(AAMUSTED), Aaron Kumah has urged students at various public universities to sue government over payment of teacher trainee allowance The Banker and Educationist believes government’s decision to single out students at the colleges of education as well as students at various Nursing Training Institutions and give them allowance especially when they are now considered full tertiary students is discriminatory. “I’m advising students of public universities, the SRC to take this issue to court because this scheme is too discriminatory, yes, they should take it to court, because if the government has the capability to pay allowances of some tertiary students, it must cover all students but not some since all are tertiary students". "Why is it that government is paying for all SHS students under Free SHS including students from private JHS? Because it is assumed that most students from expensive private JHS can pay for their school fees but government said every Ghanaian child must benefit from the scheme. But is it that some Ghanaian students in some tertiary institutions are given allowances while others are not enjoying same? Are they also not students or are they not Ghanaians? he quizzed. Speaking on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM's afternoon political show, "Dwabrem" on Wednesday, November 3, 2022; Mr. Aaron Kumah said he would mobilize student leaders’ public tertiary institutions to challenge the matter in court. Mr Aaron Kumah has, therefore, asked the government to cancel the payment of trainee allowances adding that the government is struggling to pay the allowance after accumulating arrears for six months. He said “It is undoubtedly clear how the government is suffocating in honouring its promise to pay trainee allowances, especially at this time when the allowance has been in arrears for ten (10) months. Government has no business paying allowance for teacher trainees who are being awarded degrees; the students are now considered as full tertiary students and so do not deserve any special allowance just like their colleagues in other public universities," he told the host, Price Nii Ade (DOK Cash). His comments follow a report by the National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF) requesting teacher trainees to start feeding themselves effective November 7, 2022. Restoration President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo 2017 restored the teacher trainee allowances after his predecessor, John Dramani Mahama cancelled the arrangement. The restoration took effect on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, alongside the official launch of the free senior high school (SHS) programme. He said the restoration of the allowances is part of government’s efforts aimed at providing quality education under the free SHS programme. The lecturer’s opinion The social commentator opined that the decision by the government New Patriotic Party NPP to reinstate teacher trainees allowance was a serious blooper by the NPP According to the Banker, the Akufo Addo-led government missed a huge point when he, then-candidate Akufo-Addo pledged to restore the allowance which had been cancelled by the erstwhile John Dramani Mahama. "But for political gymnastics, the NPP had no business restoring the allowance, they could have stood on the existing protocol and told Ghanaians in the face that the country can no longer pay the allowance, yet they brought it back to score cheap political points".