The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced the government’s decision to discontinue the provision of feeding allowances for teacher trainees in colleges of education across Ghana.
The decision was disclosed during a meeting with the principals of various colleges of education in Accra, where the Minister explained that the policy had become unsustainable.
He emphasized that providing meals for tertiary students was not the government’s responsibility and that continuing the practice was not in line with global best practices in higher education.
Haruna Iddrisu stated that, instead of feeding allowances, the government would introduce an enhanced student loan scheme.
This initiative aims to empower teacher trainees to cover their own living expenses, including meals, while ensuring the long-term sustainability of government spending in the education sector.
The Minister further highlighted that the shift would promote financial independence among students, aligning with the government’s broader vision for self-sufficiency in tertiary education.
“There is no way you should be feeding a student at the tertiary level so we have to work out a transition from the allowance into an enhanced student loan for them to feed themselves.
“But in the interim, they will still get the allowances. I cannot conceive of a student in a higher education institution being fed.”
