File- Some teacher trainees
Teacher trainees across the country have welcomed the reintroduction of their allowance but say they are not happy that the 12-month duration has been reduced to eight months.
Previously, the trainees received their allowance covering 12 months but the government has now decided to pay them allowances only when they are in school. That is, the students will not receive allowances while on vacation.
The new development, the trainees say is not in full fulfillment of the promise made by President Nana Akufo-Addo, in the run-up to the December 7, 2016 elections, but said notwithstanding, they are grateful.
“…Previously, we take (sic) the allowance for the 12 months in the year but the letter we received stated that we will be given only for eight months, which means the vacations are taken out but it will be good if the restoration is done in full,” newly elected president of the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG), Jonathan Apam, told Onua FM Wednesday.
Government in the 2013/2014 academic year scrapped the payment of monthly allowance of GH¢452 to the trainees; something that generated hue and cry among trainees and some parents, and criticized by the then Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party.
Nana Akufo-Addo, the then presidential candidate of the NPP promised to restore the allowance together with that of trainee nurses, if voted into office.
In fulfillment of the promise, the government announced Tuesday that it will from October this year begin giving each trainee GH¢400, from which GH¢196 will used to pay for trainees’ utilities.
Assured of more if…
Mr Apam told Bright Kwesi Asempa, host of Onua FM morning show that the reduction came to them as a surprise but said they have been assured of more should once the country’s economy is put on the right track.
“We have been promised again that when the economy is doing well, it will be increased and also cover all the 12 months, so we are hoping that government stands by this promise once again,” he said
By Bright Dzakah|Onua 95.1fm|3news.com|Ghana
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