Cabinet cancelled teacher trainee allowance, not Opoku Agyeman – Sammy Gyamfi

 
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described allegations that the newly appointed Vice Presidential candidate for the NDC,   Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as false.
This was revealed at the sixth (6th) edition of the NDC’s weekly press briefing, which was addressed by the National Communication officer, Sammy Gyamfi.
Addressing the media and party members at the NDC’s headquarters in Accra, the National Communication officer for the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, said the decision to replace Teacher Trainee allowance with student loan was a cabinet decision and not a ministerial decision.
According to him, the erstwhile Mahama government, in order to ensure equity and equality among tertiary students, converted allowances for teacher trainees into student loans in order to abolish the quota system of admissions into Colleges of Education and increase enrollment and teaching opportunities for the Youth of this country, a decision President Mahama himself took responsibility for.
Sammy Gyamfi explained that this policy which was not properly understood by many, was exploited by then candidate Akufo-Addo and the NPP for cheap political capital and electoral gain with the promise that NPP will fully restore the teacher trainee allowances if elected.
The NDC Communications Officer who expressed disappointment in the NPP said the sad reality today is that, instead of the full restoration of the allowances as was promised by President Akufo-Addo and the NPP, teacher trainees are being served with a partial restoration of the allowances, which is being paid in a rather very erratic manner and for only 8 months, instead of 12 months, as was the case before the conversion.
“To add insult to injury, the Akufo-Addo-government has increased the school fees of teacher trainees and introduced feeding fees which used to be free under the Mahama government. Worst of it all, is the abolishment of the automatic employment of teachers and the introduction of a needless licensure exams and an obnoxious mandatory national service policy for teacher trainee graduates by the Akufo Addo-government. Currently, over 2000 Newly Qualified Trained Teachers who have passed their licensure exams and undergone the one year mandatory national service are still home without employment”, he fumed.
 
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu Boatemaa