Sammy Gyamfi, the Communications Director for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has challenged the Akufo Addo government to clear its indebtedness to teacher trainees.
Per his assessment, beneficiaries of the allowances are owed since February this year due to the poor management of the scheme. He disclosed that the NPP government lured teacher trainees and the Ghanaian electorate with the introduction of the allowance scheme, so to create an impression that the John Mahama’s administration decision to abrogate it and introduce the Students Loan was an ‘abomination’.
“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 they will fully restore same if elected.
“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. In fact, our checks this morning show, that the Akufo Addo government hasn’t paid any allowances to teacher trainees since February 2020” he fired.
Mr. Gyamfi continued that the Akufo-Addo government has added to the plight of teachers, by increasing school fees and subsequently introducing licensure exams and a mandatory national service scheme as a condition to their employment.
“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 have passed their licensure exams and undergone the one year mandatory national service are still home without employment” Sammy Gyamfi lamented.
Abrogation of Licensure exams, automatic employment
The re-election of John Dramani Mahama into political power, Sammy Gyamfi said, will revolutionize the Teacher Training Colleges. Sammy Gyamfi hints that the despite having the Teacher Trainee Allowances restored by the current government, which is currently ‘poorly’ managed, the NDC government would restore it.
Among others, the teacher licensure exams which has been introduced by the NPP government would be abolished and an automatic employment regime introduced for teachers.
“These are the reasons why President John Dramani Mahama has promised to maintain the payment of allowances to teacher trainees and abolish the needless licensure exams and mandatory national service policy for teacher trainee graduates, as well as restore the automatic employment of teacher trainee graduates when he is elected on 7th December 2020.
“With Professor Naana as Vice President of the Republic, teacher trainees can trust that, the obnoxious Licensure Examination and nuisance National Service policy, which are convenient excuses for the Akufo-Addo-government’s unwillingness and inability to employ teachers, will be cancelled and more importantly, automatic recruitment of teacher trainee graduates restored.” he noted.