The Executive Director of the Institute of Education Studies Dr. Peter Anti-Partey has expressed strong support for the government’s proposal to transition the teacher trainee allowance. The decision aims at phasing out teacher and nursing trainee allowances and replacing them with an enhanced student loan scheme.
He argued that this policy shift is long overdue and would ensure a fairer, more sustainable system for funding education in Ghana.
Dr. Anti-Partey recalled that in 2015, the government had previously attempted to replace the allowance system with a student loan scheme, a move he and his institution supported at the time. He noted that the current administration’s plan to reintroduce this policy aligns with the principles of equity and efficient resource allocation. He added;
“We don’t need to politicize this. We need to all support in order that we’ll be able to free resources to expand our teacher colleges in terms of infrastructure and also find ways to ensure that we are funding these students in a more efficient and progressive manner.”
Dr. Peter Anti-Partey Executive Director of the Institute of Education Studies
Dr. Anti-Partey highlighted a major inconsistency in the current system. He argued that disparity is unfair and creates an unnecessary funding gap between the two groups. He emphasized;
“You have colleagues in the University of Ghana and the University of Cape Coast doing the same program that you are doing. The advantage that you have is that after even completing, there is the possibility that you will be posted to a school. Your colleagues in UG and UCC do not have that particular advantage. At the end of the day, they are given student loans, and you are given an allowance. This does not even speak well in terms of equity funding.”
Dr. Peter Anti-Partey Executive Director of the Institute of Education Studies
Additionally, he pointed out that trainee teachers, unlike their university counterparts, enjoy structured living conditions where they are told when to sleep, wake up, and how to dress—all because they receive allowances.
According to him, this treatment undermines the recognition of teacher trainees as tertiary-level students.
Dr. Anti-Partey acknowledged concerns that the withdrawal of allowances might discourage students from enrolling in teacher training colleges. However, he argued that a well-structured student loan scheme could mitigate these concerns.
As a transitioning Phase, he suggested that instead of spending money on allowances, the government should channel those funds into improving educational infrastructure, including classrooms, accommodation, and teaching materials. He advised;
“We should save some money, expand the infrastructure in colleges where you have limited lecture rooms, accommodation is a problem, and teaching and learning resources that you need to practice before you go to the field are nonexistent.”
Dr. Peter Anti-Partey Executive Director of the Institute of Education Studies
The Ministry of Education’s Clarification
Following media reports that the government planned to scrap the trainee allowance system, the Ministry of Education issued a statement to clarify the matter. The ministry clarified;
“The minister, during the interaction with executives of the principals of colleges of education, explained that the government is open to augmenting the financial needs of students in the colleges of education. To this end, he indicated that government would seek to consider an enhanced loan scheme for students in this category if need be.”
Ministry of Education
Dr. Anti-Partey welcomed the clarification but suggested that the government could have managed the timing of the announcement better to avoid unnecessary controversy.
He suggested that the government should have waited until the National Education Forum to introduce the policy, allowing for proper discussion and consensus-building.
Dr. Anti-Partey proposed that if the government proceeds with the policy, it should adopt a phased approach rather than an abrupt termination of allowances. He reiterated;
“Phasing it out means that maybe you start with the new academic year—the first years coming in will access an enhanced loan, while the second, third, and fourth years will continue to [receive] allowances. Then you move gradually in that direction.”
Dr. Peter Anti-Partey Executive Director of the Institute of Education Studies
Regarding concerns that the removal of allowances might discourage students from becoming teachers, Dr. Anti-Partey argued that Ghana does not have a teacher shortage but rather a deployment issue. He suggested that the government could introduce targeted scholarships for students pursuing degrees in specialized areas such as local language education, which currently faces shortages in certain regions.
A More Efficient and Progressive System
Dr. Anti concluded that maintaining the allowance system is inefficient and outdated. He emphasized;
“You do not need to give these teacher trainees 400 cedis, which technically translates into 144 cedis because some of it is used to feed them – we need a more efficient, progressive system to fund education, and going forward, this replacement of the enhanced loan scheme would be ideal.”
Dr. Peter Anti-Partey Executive Director of the Institute of Education Studies
His position aligns with broader efforts to reform the education sector and ensure that financial assistance is distributed equitably across all tertiary students, rather than favoring one category over another.
