Students of Bagabaga College of Education in Tamale welcomed President John Dramani Mahama to the college’s 70th Anniversary with a call for restoration of trainee teacher allowances.
As the President mounted the podium to deliver his key note address, they cried loud, “Bring back our allowances: Mr. President we are dying.”
In an exclusive interview, they explained that governments scrap of trainee teacher allowances was ill-informed, hence the need for President John Dramani Mahama to reconsider the decision.
[contextly_sidebar id=”ovHIBCYjy0tMtmpP20dX5BTbAuxvbEG1″]According to them, the allowances were used as supplementary income to finance their education.
They further argued that government’s decision rendered teacher training colleges unattractive to students who desired to join the fraternity.
In what appeared to be a direct response to their plea, President John Dramani Mahama in his wisdom remarked, “Government will continue to do what it is to provide for the welfare of teachers but we also call for your understanding and cooperation as we tackle some of the challenges that confront this nation especially in the sector of the economy.”
He added, “We urge teachers to be dedicated and continue to put the interest of their students first,” he stressed.
It will be recalled that government as part of moves to save the fragile national purse scrap allowances of trainee teachers and that of trainee health nurses which created uproar.
Government explained that the allowance system was to be replaced by the student loans which was available for all degree awarding institutions.
This, according to government was also to allow increase in the intake of number of trainees into the training colleges.
Leadership of the two institutions galvanized trainee teachers and trainee nurses and staged series of street demonstrations across the country.
This informed continuing students of Bagabaga College of Education’s call on President John Dramani Mahama to re-establish their allowances.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana