Over 5,000 teacher trainees warded govt scholarships in 7 years
The government has awarded over 5,000 scholarships to teacher trainees in the last seven years, per data made public by the Registrar of Scholarships, Dr Kingsley Agyeman.
Making this data public, Dr. Agyeman added that the scholarships offered to the teacher trainees were not just financial aid to the beneficiaries; they also served as a vital lifeline that empowered them to pursue their education dreams, which would have been impossible if they had not secured the scholarships.
Dr. Agyeman was speaking at the 8th annual delegates congress of the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana in Koforidua when he revealed this.
He added that these scholarships have had an impact on beneficiaries at the various colleges of education and were part of the government’s effort to support the education of teachers in the education sector at the pre-tertiary level.
“This support is complementary to the government’s allowance scheme, which I fervently support for its continued role in bolstering teacher education. A stance that is particularly poignant when considering the varying positions of previous administrations on such allowances.” Dr. Agyeman noted why she was speaking at the programme.
He praised teachers for their sacrifices and their effort to become changemakers. According to him, teachers were the bedrock of change, innovation, and progress in education.
READ: Basic education gets highest GETFund finance in 7 years
He called on teachers to embrace technology in a world that is being impacted by swift technological progress.
Dr. Agyeman is vying for elections as an MP and is currently the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant for Abuakwa South. As part of his contribution to education in the constituency, he has initiated programmes to improve quality.
These include the following initiatives:
- The Kingsley Spelling Challenge for Upper Primary Schools,
- The Kingsley Readathon Challenge for Lower Primary Schools.
- The Kingsley Science and Math Quizzes for Junior High Schools,
- The Kingsley Debate and Mentorship Series for Senior High Schools.
Other contributions he has made to education include the construction of a six-unit, fully-equipped classroom block.
In a related development, the admission portal for colleges of education has been opened to admit students from WASSCE, among others, who want to enroll as teacher trainees in the 46 public colleges of education in Ghana.
Affiliate banks and Momo offer the application voucher for purchase. Applicants must meet both institutions and programme-specific qualification requirements to apply and stand a chance of being offered admission.
In a related development, the minority has called for the Dr Kingsley Agyeman to be interdicted over allegations of the scholarship secretariat awarding scholarships means for ordinary Ghanaian students to NPP party faithfuls and some NPP political appointees who have the means of paying for their education.
In some instances, his outfit awarded two scholarships to the same NPP official while the ordinary who need it are rejected and never supported.
READ: Basic education gets highest GETFund finance in 7 years
The Office of the Special Persecutor has also been informed to stage an investigation into the matter. The OSP is yet to react officially to the call by the minority.
