Teacher trainees should also enjoy student loan scheme – Educationist

Accra, June 18, GNA – An educationist has proposed to government to extend the student loan scheme being enjoyed by students in universities and polytechnics to teacher trainees.
      Mr. Jimmy Korsi Kpeglo, Principal of Akatsi Training College, said this should replace the current allowance scheme of teacher trainees which was estimated at some 38 billion cedis a month for all the 38 teacher
training colleges.
     "That colossal amount, no doubt, when channeled
into improving conditions of service of teachers and facilities at the colleges, will help to attract more people into the colleges and eventually into the profession," he said in a press release issued in Accra on Monday.
     Mr. Kpeglo noted that currently, because of financial constraints on the government due to the payment of allowances as well as infrastructure development at the training colleges, only 9,000 teachers passed out annually, instead of the national requirement of 14,000 – 15,000.
     He commended government for initiating a six-unit classroom and library for each of the training colleges, while 15 colleges offering Mathematics and Science were, in addition, benefiting from the provision of science laboratories.
     "While acknowledging that these facilities will improve teacher training, one will like to appeal to the government to consider building more dormitories for the colleges to ensure an increase in the intake of teacher trainees."
     Mr. Kpeglo also appealed to the government to consider staff accommodation to attract and retain more qualified staff in the training colleges.
     He said five years after implementing the "in-in-out" residential programme, there was the need for its revision by the Teacher Education Division of Ghana Education Service and Institute Education, University of Cape Coast.
     This, Mr Kpeglo said, would enable the two bodies to assess the programme and its impact on teacher training and whether or not it should be sustained.