The Plight of Newly Trained Teachers from the Colleges

Have the newly trained teachers from the country’s Colleges of Education (CoE) not suffered enough under this insensitive administration?

Is it because they opted for the paultry, inconsistent and 8 months allowance per academic year?

Under the Mills-Mahama administration, newly trained teachers were posted immediately after their teaching practice in September-the beginning of the academic year. It is sad to note that this administration (Akufo-Addo’s govt) has succeeded in moving the postings of these poor teachers to December which is fraught with a myriad of challenges.

Hundreds of trainees who went through College system, wrote and passed the licensure examination and about to complete their National Service have not been posted.

Under the erstwhile NDC administration, the newly trained teachers did not have to do National Service before being posted. The National Service was forced down their throats by the Education minister under this government. Well, election 2020 presents yet another opportunity to prospective and current Teacher trainees to choose between postings, directly after teaching practice or being compelled to do National Service and have their fates hanged in the balance.

The University of Cape Coast has mentored the CoE over the years to the admiration of all especially those in the educational community.

It therefore came to many as a shock when trainees were asked to compulsorily pay Ghc220 in order to sit for a licensure examination.

The public needs to know that all the 46 CoE in Ghana write external examination from UCC. How then can this insensitive administration subject these poor trainees to suffer twice by writing another so-called licensure examination? Is it that they do not trust the mentorship of UCC?
Can the NTC and its staff compare themselves to UCC and its staff?

The so-called allowance the NPP administration claim to be giving to the trainees is virtually non existent. This is because out of the GHC400, fifty percent (GHC200) go into paying feeding fees. The remaining balance is not even enough to cater for the ever increasing fees at the Colleges. In effect, the trainees have to look for more money elsewhere to settle their indebtedness to their Colleges. Meanwhile during the Mahama administration, trainees were offered student loans which was enough to pay for their fees. As if this was not enough, they were offered GHC550 to pay for their feeding fees.

Under these two circumstances, which is better? In this erra of improved technology, the newly trained teachers who have been posted albeit more than a year late, were burned under the scorching sun just to present their acceptance letters and other documents.

When will our systems work properly? Do the authorities take delight in seeing poor teachers queue always to go through simple administrative processes?
Until this NPP administration is shown the exit, teacher trainees would continue to go through excruciating hardships and dehumanizing conditions like what we witnessed at the Regional education offices. The decision to maintain or boot them out is yours. Juxtapose the policies of the erstwhile NDC administration against the not well thought out and wicked policies of the NPP.

Abubakari Mashud Wumpini
Professional Teacher,
Former ATTRICONS Secretary

(0246732992)