Easy access to scholarships key in education

In June, the government announced that it will scrap allowances paid to trainee teachers from the beginning of the 2013-2014 academic year.
This announcement has been received differently in various sectors of the society. Many are those who have cautioned the government to reconsider the decision in view of the immense benefits the trainees derive from the allowance.

Indeed, the various teacher unions have expressed their reservations about the decision, saying that it would demotivate people from entering the teaching profession.

The government, on the other hand, has argued that its decision to scrap the allowances is to ensure equity and fairness in the educational system.

Once of the colleges of education have been upgraded into tertiary institutions, it argues, it is just fair for the money used to pay allowances to be directed into the provision of facilities for the colleges to admit more students to meet the shortfall in the number of teachers required for educational institutions.

Even before the effective date for the withdrawal of the allowances for the trainee teachers, the Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr John Koku Awoonor-Williams, has suggested to the Ministry of Health to also scrap the allowance given to trainee nurses, just as it has been decided against trainee teachers by the Ministry of Education. That, he said, would not only ensure equity but also ensure that the best and committed nurses are recruited into the health profession.

It appears that the government and the health director’s arguments are similar.

The Daily Graphic foresees a situation where in the nearest future, allowances paid to all trainees may be stopped in the interest of equity and fairness for all who seek higher education. After all, it would be argued that there is no fairness in the government giving allowances to one group of students while others have to take loans to be able to taste tertiary education.

It is no secret that many enrol in the colleges of education and the nursing training colleges because of the payment of allowances to the trainees. But it is also a fact that such interventions have enabled many people to pursue their dream of going into the teaching and nursing professions.

Our concern is not so much about the withdrawal of the allowances as arrangements are being made to ensure that trainees secure some funds during their studies.

In other jurisdictions where fee-paying is the norm for all categories of students, there exists scholarship-awarding institutions that offer grants and scholarships. The recent publication of the Ghana Directory of Scholarships and Financial Assistance is, therefore, very welcome but what is more important is that, all categories of students should be able to find the needed assistance for their education.

The Daily Graphic welcomes assurances given by the Students Loan Trust Fund of its readiness to grant loans to the trainee teachers and expects that everything necessary would be done to ensure fresh students do not suffer any undue hardships.

The government, no doubt, has good intentions so we expect that the withdrawal of the trainee teachers’ allowances will call for easy access to scholarships, improvement in facilities and increase in intake by the institutions and help meet the shortfall in the sector.

Daily Graphic/Ghana