In a shocking turn of events, the newly elected John Dramani Mahama government has announced its intention to cancel teacher trainee allowances, a move that has left thousands of students in Colleges of Education feeling deceived and betrayed.
The revelation came from Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, barely a month after Mahama assumed office.
This decision starkly contradicts the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 Manifesto, which explicitly promised to sustain and improve allowances for teacher and nursing trainees.
The campaign promise: A vote-winning strategy?
Prior to the 2024 elections, the NDC made six pledges under its Education Financing Support (No-Fees-Stress) Programme on page 97 of its manifesto.
Promise number six unequivocally stated: “Provide trainee allowances, student loans, and other diverse funding options for teacher and nursing trainees.”
During the campaign, President Mahama who insisted on cancelling the allowances heavily criticized the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for delays in disbursing allowances.
In contrast, the NPP had assured trainees that their allowances would remain intact. However, just weeks before the election, President Mahama and the NDC reversed their long-standing position of scrapping allowances and pledged to continue paying them—a move many now believe was a calculated political maneuver to secure votes.
The reality check: Allowances to be replaced with student loans
Barely four weeks into the new administration, Haruna Iddrisu announced plans to phase out the allowances and transition trainees into the student loan scheme.
This mirrors the justification given during President Mahama’s first term when his administration initially scrapped the allowance system before it was restored by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government in 2017.
According to Mr Iddrisu, a temporary dual system will be implemented, allowing trainees to either opt for the allowance or enroll in the student loan scheme before a full transition is enforced.
This announcement was made during a meeting with the leadership of the Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education, Ghana (PRINCOF), where principals voiced concerns about financial challenges and the impact this decision would have on education quality.
Outrage among trainees: “We feel used and dumped”
Trainees across the country have expressed anger and disappointment, accusing Mahama of political deception.
Many argue that they voted for the NDC solely based on the assurance that their allowances would remain intact, only to be betrayed within a month of his presidency.
“We feel used and dumped. The promise of continuous allowance payments was a major reason why many of us supported the NDC. This decision is a clear betrayal,” said a frustrated trainee from Wesley College of Education.
Another student from Bagabaga College of Education noted that many trainees come from underprivileged backgrounds, and the allowance serves as their only financial support for school and living expenses.
“A loan scheme is not the same as an allowance. We didn’t vote for loans; we voted for allowances.”
Pattern of broken promises?
This is not the first time Mahama has come under fire for reneging on major campaign promises.
His first term in office saw the cancellation of the teacher and nursing trainee allowances, despite strong opposition.
The policy led to widespread protests until the NPP government restored the allowances in 2017.
Analysts believe this latest reversal could have serious political repercussions for Mahama and the NDC.
Political scientist Dr. Kwesi Anning describes it as “a major blunder that could cost the government trust and credibility.”
What next for teacher trainees?
With this abrupt policy change, many trainees are left uncertain about their future. The transition to a student loan scheme could take months to fully implement, leaving many struggling to finance their education.
Opposition voices, student unions, and education advocates are already mobilizing protests to demand the reinstatement of allowances.
For now, the fate of thousands of trainees remains in limbo, as they grapple with the harsh reality of a promise that was seemingly made for votes—but swiftly abandoned in power.
By Elvis DARKO, Accra
