Teacher trainees across all public Colleges of Education in the country will from May 8, 2022, not be fed in the various institutions.

This is the latest directive by the National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education – Ghana (PRINCOF).

The decision, according to PRINCOF, is a result of the government’s delay in the payment of six-month feeding fee arrears.

In a statement, PRINCOF said, “suppliers have backed their threats of not supplying any food items to Colleges with concrete action by not supplying Colleges with any food items until they have been paid monies owed them.”

To ensure a smooth academic calendar, PRINCOF says it has adopted the following measures:

1. Trainee teachers will be provided with two meals, breakfast and supper only, for one week, from April 23 to April 30, 2022.
2. Trainee teachers from May 1 to May 8, 2022, shall be given lunch only.
3. After May 8, trainee teachers would be asked to provide their own meals until their feeding allowances are paid.
4. Food vendors are being encouraged to increase the quantity of daily meals they cook for sale to students.

“These measures are meant to ensure that there is no disruption of the academic calendar,” the statement ended.

Unhappy trainees 

In the meantime, the leaders of the teacher-trainees say they will resist all attempts to deprive them of the three square meals per day.

President of the Teacher Trainee Association of Ghana (TTAG), Jonathan Dzunu, says a meeting has been scheduled with the Education Ministry for Friday, April 22, 2022, to discuss the concerns.

“Our position as students is that we don’t support the decision of PRINCOF. The Principals are taking this decision because they have not been given a feeding component that comes with the allowances. So if you are asking the students to go and feed themselves, where will they get the money from. So our position is that this should be solved as soon as possible.  Students cannot be starved. We want to meet the Ministry of Education and tell them what we want them to do”, he said.