The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the government will halt the provision of feeding allowances for teacher trainees in colleges of education across Ghana. Speaking at a meeting with principals of various colleges of education in Accra, the Minister stated that the policy was unsustainable and did not align with global best practices in higher education.

Haruna Iddrisu explained that it was not the government’s responsibility to feed tertiary students, arguing that public funds should be redirected toward other critical areas in the education sector. According to him, the current system is financially burdensome and cannot be sustained in the long term.

To cushion the impact of this change, the Minister announced plans to replace the feeding programme with an enhanced student loan scheme. This initiative aims to empower students to take responsibility for their own living expenses, including meals. The shift, he noted, would help trainees develop financial independence while ensuring that government spending on education remains sustainable.

“There is no way you should be feeding a student at the tertiary level, so we have to work out a transition from the allowance into an enhanced student loan for them to feed themselves,” he stated. However, he assured that in the interim, trainees will continue to receive allowances until a final decision is implemented.

The announcement has sparked mixed reactions among education stakeholders, with some expressing concerns about the affordability of meals for trainees who rely on the allowance. Others, however, believe that an enhanced student loan system could provide better financial support in the long run.

As the government moves forward with this transition, it is expected to engage with key stakeholders, including students, college administrators, and education experts, to ensure a smooth implementation of the new policy.