We Won’t introduce quota system; Trainee allowance will be paid – Napo assures

Minister Designate for Education, Dr. Mattew Opoku Prempeh says the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is committed to restoring the suspended trainee allowance that the immediate past National Democratic Congress (NDC) government stopped.

He said the NPP’s position to restore teacher trainee allowance is clear in their manifesto and adding that government will not to introduce the quota system as reported in some news outlets.

“I have been flipping through the NPP manifesto and our commitment is clear which is to restore the trainee allowance,” Dr. Opoku Prempeh told the Appointment Committee of Parliament.

Teacher and nursing trainees in the country for many years enjoyed allowances provided them by government as incentive until recently when it was abolished.

The past NDC government explained that, since enrollment had shot up about 63 percent with the removal of the quota system, there was no need to continue to pay allowances, rather offer an opportunity for trainees to access loans from the Students Loan Trust to finance their education.

Prior to the 2016 elections, the then opposition NPP assured students of the various teacher and nursing training institutions of the party’s commitment to bring back the allowances, to ensure they had smooth training to serve the country.

There have been calls backed by the former leadership of the Trainee Teacher Association (TTAG) for the ruling government to maintain the current system of enrollment initiated by the immediate past government.

But responding to the issue during his vetting by the Appointment Committee of Parliament Tuesday, Dr. Opoku Prempeh maintained that his government is committed to paying the teacher and nursing trainee allowances.

The Nana Addo-led NPP administration has given indication of its plan to capture the allowances of both teacher and nursing trainee institutions in the budget which would be presented later in March.