Colleges of Education: Feeding challenges due to irregular payment of allowances-Asaak

Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee in Parliament, Clement Apaak, has attributed the feeding challenges in the Colleges of Education to irregular disbursement of allowances to the schools.

This comes after the Conference of Principals of the Colleges (PRINCOF) said the feeding challenges in the Colleges of Education were compounded by the inability of the government to increase feeding grants to the schools.

In a letter addressed to the Education Minister, they sought the approval of the Ministry to allow the students to fend for themselves starting November 7.

“Principals of Colleges of Education have been trying really very hard to feed trainee teachers in recent times as a result of current market trends. Prices of food items have shot up astronomically and food suppliers have refused to supply any food items to colleges because of the indebtedness to these suppliers…In the light of the above, it is the wish of PRINCOF to be given permission to ask students to start fending for themselves. This is to ensure that the already stretched academic year is not disrupted,” a letter from PRINCOF said.

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Reacting to the issue, on Atinka FM’s AM Drive, Clement Apaak said the Colleges of Education use part of the allowances the government disburses to cater for the feeding of the students.

He added that the feeding challenges are as a result of inconsistency in the disbursement of the allowances to the schools.

“The feeding challenges in the Colleges of Education are very bad. The issue is as a result of inconsistency in the disbursement of the allowances. It is out of these allowances that school pay suppliers who provide the schools with food. The stipends paid to the students are also from the same allowances. So when you have a situation that there are arrears in disbursements, it becomes a challenge to the school,” he added.