Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 running mate and former Minister of Education, has confirmed that while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) successfully restored the Teacher Trainee allowances, its implementation has been poor and challenging. 

Speaking at the GRASAG Presidential Policy Lecture at the University of Cape Coast, alongside NDC flagbearer John Dramani Mahama, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang highlighted the negative consequences of the restoration.

According to her, the restoration of the allowances has resulted in significant arrears, leaving many trainees stranded without payments.

 She criticized the NPP government for its poor implementation and failure to employ the trainees post-graduation, rendering the restoration ineffective.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang clarified that the NDC never abolished the Teacher Trainee allowances but rather restructured them to facilitate the employment of more trainee teachers. 

She accused the NPP of politicizing the issue and emphasized that the NDC aimed to abolish the quota system to enable more trainee teachers to be employed.

She further stated that the NDC would cancel the Teacher Licensing Examinations, arguing that it makes no sense for graduates who have completed a four-year programme to take additional examinations before being employed. 

The abolition of these examinations, she said, would help fill vacancies in schools across the country.

In an interview with Class 91.3 FM's Nana Tawiah, the National President of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG), Mr Emmanuel Owusu endorsed John Dramani Mahama's 24-hour economy policy.

 He urged all graduate students to support this policy, which aims to address challenges such as accommodation issues, inadequate teaching and learning materials, and insufficient facilities in universities.

Mr Owusu expressed gratitude to the NDC for introducing the 24-hour economy initiative and called on the government to provide more support to students facing various challenges in the country’s higher education institutions.