Allowance Under Threat: PET Advocates for Cancellation of Teachers' and Nurses' Training Allowance

The teachers' and nurses' training allowance in Ghana has a rich history dating back to 1960 when it was first introduced by President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

The allowance was not only for teacher and nurse trainees but also for students from agricultural colleges and schools of hygiene. These students received a monthly allowance, free accommodation, and feeding, all courtesy of the government.

However, in 1967, Dr. K.A. Busia cancelled the allowance, citing its unfairness, as students were already receiving free accommodation and feeding.

This cancellation led to a decline in enrollment in teacher and nursing training colleges, resulting in a shortage of professionals in these fields.

To address this shortage, the PNDC Secretary for Education, Madam Mary Grant, persuaded President Jerry John Rawlings to reintroduce the allowance in 1985.

This move helped reverse the brain drain, making teaching and nursing more attractive professions.

Fast forward to today, the Platform for Elite Teachers (PET) is advocating for the cancellation of the teachers' and nurses' training allowance.

Addressing the media today in Kumasi,the Ashanti Regional Capital,they argue that it's uneconomical to maintain the allowance, especially since the training colleges have been elevated to colleges of education, offering diploma and degree programs.

Mr Musah De-Graft Coleman, Secretary and Hon Samuel Owusu , National President to the group made it clear that PET also believes that it's unfair to treat teacher and nursing trainees differently from students in other tertiary institutions, such as polytechnics and universities.

They argue that all students in higher education institutions should be treated fairly and equally, and that the allowance should either be paid to all or cancelled altogether.

It's worth noting that the teachers' and nurses' training allowance is not a constitutional requirement. As the education landscape continues to evolve, it's essential to reassess the relevance and fairness of such allowances.

Source:Ayisah Foster