Gov't to replace Teacher Trainee Allowance with Student Loan Trust

The Deputy Minister in Charge of Tertiary Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has reiterated government's commitment to prioritizing education by replacing the Teacher Trainee Allowances with the Student Loan Trust.

Speaking on GTV's Current Affairs Programme “Talking Point” which discussed the recent removal of teacher trainee allowances, Mr Ablakwa said government sees education as key and spends more than 6% of the country's GDP on education.

He said 40% of the national budget goes into the educational sector.

The Deputy General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Baafi, said the withdrawal of the Teacher Trainees Allowance is a massive blow to trainees.

He justified the need for the allowance to be retained, saying no amount of money is too big to be invested in education, if government sees education as fundamental to national development.

The President of the Teacher Trainee Association of Ghana, Mohammed Amin Mansine expressed concern about the cancellation of the Teacher Trainee Allowance.

He said government does not provide trainees with learning materials and therefore, students depend on the allowance for their books as well as personal effects.