Government, through the Ministry of Education, has announced that an amount of GH₵67,942,652 has been released to the Colleges of Education to cater for the feeding of teacher trainees.

This was disclosed by the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum in a press conference on Wednesday.

The intervention follows the announcement by the Principals of Colleges of Education which directed that Teacher Trainees will begin feeding themselves from May 8, due to non-payment of feeding grants.

“I am very happy today to inform you that government has released GHC67,942,652 to Colleges of Education. I know you may have read the media reports, there were many calls on us to respond to the concerns of PRINCOF and we want to take advantage of your presence here to make the country know that the President of the Republic, the Finance Minister and all those who are to ensure that various promises made to Colleges of Education are carried through, have delivered on their promise and that is why once again, this amount has been released to colleges of Education,” the Education Minister announced.

The National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), Ghana in a press statement on April 19, demanded that teacher trainees start to fund their own feeding from May 8.

This directive is in response to the inability of Colleges of Education to make payments for food items supplied to them.

According to PRINCOF, food suppliers who had continued delivering supplies to these Colleges of Education for months without payment have finally withdrawn their services till they receive the monies owed them.

“Trainee teachers will be provided with two meals, breakfast and supper only for one week, from April 23 to April 30, 2022.

“Trainee teachers from May 1 to May 8, 2022 shall be given lunch only.

“After May 8, trainee teachers would be asked to provide their own meals until their feeding allowances have been paid,” PRINCOF said.

Meanwhile, the Teacher Trainee Association of Ghana (TTAG) has warned that the decision may pose as a national security threat.

Speaking on the Super Morning Show, on Wednesday, the Association’s President, Jonathan Dzunu, stated that the students, if starved, would be compelled to picket against the decision.

“This issue is an issue of national concern so government should do something about it. If we allow this to happen and care is not taken, this will be an issue of national security.

“Because you’re sending over 20,000 students to the various campuses to get starved. Do you think there will be calm? No! Do you think there will be peace, No! and this is where we don’t want to get to,” he said.