Teacher trainees warn over PRINCOF’s decision to ration food

The Teacher Trainee Association of Ghana (TTAG) has warned that the decision by the National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF) to ration food to its members may pose a national security threat.

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.

Mr Dzunu, who is not too happy about the decision, questioned how students who cannot fend for themselves will survive if the feeding components are not paid.

“As students, we don’t agree with the measures,” he said.

“Where would the students get the money from to cater for their feeding when this is abolished? Our allowances are not being paid, our feeding components are not being paid, and students equally do not have the money. So if they are asking them to go out there and feed themselves, how would they do that?” he quizzed

The National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education – Ghana (PRINCOF) on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, directed that teacher trainees start to fund their own feeding from May 8.

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suppliers who had continued delivering supplies to these Colleges of Education for months without payment have finally withdrawn their services till they receive the monies owed them.

As a result, PRINCOF has suggested that:

“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,” it said.

The Teacher Trainees Association President, thus, has entreated authorities to immediately address the issue and provide the necessary funding to settle the debt in order not to create any challenge for the students.

“We don’t have to get to that stage where we would say students are hungry on campus so they are rioting. So as soon as possible I think state leaders should put in the immediate steps in making sure that the issue is resolved,” he stressed.