EduWatch: Scrapping Trainee Allowance Could Fund Recruitment of 400 Teachers Annually
Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, has raised concerns over the continued payment of allowances to teacher trainees, describing the policy as financially burdensome and no longer sustainable within the education budget framework.
He explained that the funds currently used for trainee allowances could be redirected to more impactful priorities in the education sector, especially the employment and payment of additional teachers who are needed in schools across the country.
In an interview on TV3 on Tuesday, May 12, Asare stressed the need for a critical review of long-standing education financing decisions, arguing that some of these policies place unnecessary strain on public resources without delivering proportional benefits to the system. He maintained that the trainee allowance has outlived its original purpose and should be discontinued in favour of strengthening teaching and learning outcomes.
He further noted that abolishing the allowance could create fiscal space to recruit about 400 teachers annually, adding that a similar amount is also spent on allowances for nursing trainees, which he also described as excessive.
According to him, Ghana’s teacher recruitment structure also requires urgent reform. He proposed a shift from the current automatic posting of graduates into teaching positions to a demand-driven system where recruitment is based strictly on identified vacancies within specific schools and districts.
He explained that in more structured systems abroad, teaching vacancies are publicly advertised at the district level, allowing qualified applicants with the relevant subject background and experience to apply directly for specific schools. He argued that adopting a similar model would improve efficiency and ensure that recruitment matches actual educational needs.