Government to Suspend Feeding Allowances for Teacher Trainees – Education Minister

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced the government’s decision to discontinue feeding allowances for teacher trainees in colleges of education across Ghana.

Addressing a gathering of college principals in Accra, the Minister explained that the policy is financially unsustainable and does not align with international best practices for higher education.

He stated that it is not the government’s obligation to provide meals for tertiary students, adding that maintaining such a system is impractical given the financial demands on the education sector.

To support trainees in managing their expenses, the government intends to introduce an improved student loan scheme, which will enable them to cover their living costs, including meals.

“There is no valid reason for feeding students at the tertiary level. We need to move away from the allowance system and instead provide a more robust student loan scheme that allows them to be self-sufficient,” he asserted.

Despite the policy shift, the Minister assured that trainees will continue receiving their allowances during the transition period until the new system is fully implemented.

According to him, this change is aimed at ensuring a more sustainable approach to funding education while encouraging financial independence among teacher trainees.