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Deputy communications director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Anthony Karbo says the party would not disclose the source of funding for the teacher trainee allowances it promised to restore.
The NPP on its campaign trail promised to restore the allowances which have been scrapped under the President John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
Despite several student protests to get the allowance reinstated, government has insisted on maintaining the new policy.
Speaking on 3FM’s Sunrise morning show, Anthony Karbo argued that the policy is not friendly and will only burden trainees. He stated that it was very important for the allowances to be restored.
“We have done all the costing and we know where we are getting the money from but I can’t disclose the source.
“We have a track record of making these big pronouncements and having delivered on them such as the NHIS, School feeding program and the Capitation grant program and these are all clear examples.
“Teacher training is a key component especially those who are going to deliver this quality education which we all seek.
“Having said that, it is also important to note that majority of those who enroll in teacher training colleges are the people who do not qualify to go to the university.
“This teacher training allowance is a major motivation factor for a lot of enrolment and the fact that many of those who get into these training colleges come from the rural areas and financing that education can be very difficult.
“The teacher training allowance has always served as a stopgap or better sill some kind of support for those students who come from that part of the country.
“The basis for which these allowances have been cancelled has not been very much grounded simply because the arguments that have been put for in support of why these allowances have been taken don’t appear to add up”.
