I am deeply saddened by Government’s moves to scrap Teacher Trainees allowances. The arguments put forward for this unfortunate move are thus: “(a) government does not have the financial capacity to maintain the allowances, (b) the continuous payment of allowances to Teacher Trainees after Colleges of Education have been upgraded to tertiary institutions to award university degrees would amount to short-changing students in other tertiary institutions who rely on loans from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and other sources to support their education; (c) taking away the Teacher Trainee allowances would help save money to expand infrastructure in the Colleges of Education which would then result in filling colleges of education to full capacity.”
I find these reasons rather strange and interesting if not ridiculous. Contrary to government’s reasons for pushing this agenda, such a move would have dire consequences for those students whose parents cannot support them in college and who rely heavily on the allowance to pay their fees.
The best alternative to addressing the unfairness (under extreme circumstances) would be to make provision for students in such other tertiary institutions to enjoy allowances; not scrap the little being enjoyed by Teacher Trainees. If not others could be right in arguing that because most Public Sector workers earn less than Ministers and Members of Parliament, salaries of MP’s and Ministers should be slashed or even scrapped.
The argument that “government does not have the financial capacity to maintain the allowances” can never be true any day so let’s not go into it!
John F. Kennedy once said: “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality.” I therefore challenge everyone including notable figures in this country that once enjoyed trainee allowances to stand up and be counted.
The trainee allowances must not be scrapped!