Ask Students To Fend For Themselves-PRINCOF
The Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF) have asked the Minister of Education to permit trainee teachers to fend for themselves since the government’s GHS6.50ps is no longer adequate to cover the feeding of the trainees.
A letter dated Monday, 31 October 2022, addressed to the Minister of Education and signed by the Executive Secretary PRINCOF, Dr. Harriet Naki Amui, sought permission on the matter.
“I write on behalf of the Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education to seek your approval for principals to ask students to fend for themselves effective November 7, 2022,” it said.
According to the letter, the Principals of the various colleges have been trying hard to feed trainee teachers as a result of current price hikes and economic hardship in the country.
The letter revealed that: “A request for an upward review of the feeding grant paid to Principals has not been approved, and it has therefore become increasingly difficult for Principals to continue to provide three meals a day to students at six cedis fifty pesewas (GHS6.50ps).
“It is the wish of PRINCOF to be given permission to ask students to start fending for themselves.”
It explained that: “This is to ensure that the already stretched academic year is not disrupted.”
This development comes after agitations by trainees at Mount Mary College of Education in Somanya in the Eastern region, accused the school of embezzlement of funds meant to be reimbursed to them.
According to the unhappy students, they paid for their feeding for four months, and after the Student Loan Trust Fund released a fund to be reimbursed to them, the school’s management allegedly refused to pay them.
They alleged that the Student Representative Council and the school management had connived to embezzle the fund, to which each student was entitled to GHc 784.00.
Reacting to the letter Kwasi Kwarteng who is the spokesperson at the Ministry of Education has disclosed that engagements are ongoing to swiftly resolve all outstanding obligations to ensure the colleges of education continue to feed trainees.
“MoE is aware of the urgency of the situation and is working with the Ministry of Finance to swiftly resolve all outstanding obligations/commitments to the Colleges of Education,” he said.
According to him, the Education Ministry is committed to addressing disruptions within the food
supply chain before the November 7 date indicated in the letter of PRINCOF.