Allowance for teacher trainees is better than students' loan - SDA COE Principal

Principal of SDA College of Education (COE) at Asokore in Koforidua, Prof. William Kofi Koomson has proposed that maintaining teachers' allowance policy would go a long way to assist students instead of replacing it with a loan.

In his analysis, activities of Colleges of Education differ from that of other tertiary institutions and that, replacing the allowances with loans will not be in the good interest of students considering their academic structure.

Speaking to the media at the re-opening of school and welcoming of first-year students, Prof. William Kofi Koomson emphasized that COEs are well disciplined in their activities and that is why students wear uniforms to school and also stay at the boarding house.

"Until I was transferred here, I didn't know there is a vast difference in academic work and standard between COEs and universities. With the COEs, they are specifically mandated to train teachers as nursing colleges do. So I think giving students allowance will rather help them instead of the loan".

"But if the government feels continuing paying of the allowances is a challenge to the country's finances, then we welcome the loan replacement. But as an educationist, I prefer the allowance to the loans" Prof. Koomson stated.

Prof. William Kofi Koomson was sharing his view on comments by Deputy Education Minister, Gifty Twum-Ampofo, on the government's plans of replacing teachers' and nurses' allowances with students' loans, which is expected to cater to every student willing to take financial support.

The Mahama-led NDC government canceled the allowance and replaced it with the Students' loan but the Akufo-Addo led NPP restored it in 2017 as it was a major tool in the party's 2016 manifesto.

He, however, urged the first-year students to take their lessons seriously and abide by all rules and regulations governing the College.