Peter Kwasi Nortsu-Kotoe, the ranking member of the Parliament’s Education Committee, has made fun of the Akufo-Addo administration for bringing back the quota system at the various Colleges of Education.
He claimed that the government is not being genuine about its decision to reinstate the quota system, asserting that the move to reduce enrollment was made because there are insufficient money to support the teacher trainees’ allowances.
The government announced the reinstatement of the quota system for the 46 authorized public colleges of education for the academic year 2022–2023 in a letter dated December 16, 2022.
A total of 12,002 potential teacher trainees are anticipated to be admitted into the Colleges of Education for the 2022–2023 academic year, per the list made public by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
The administration gave an explanation for why it chose to reinstate the admission quota system at the nation’s colleges of education: inadequate infrastructure.
However, the Volta Region’s Akatsi North Constituency legislator stated in an interview with Citi News that, “they are only refusing to tell the public that government does not have money to pay the so-called allowances to the students. The allowances have been in arrears for so many months now and government’s inability to pay is forcing them to cut down on the number. It’s not only colleges of education, nursing colleges are also affected. It’s a deliberate act to reduce the number of intake to the colleges of education”.
The move, according to Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe, is regrettable and would impair the development of education in the nation.
“It’s rather unfortunate because year in and year out, the number of teachers we need in our schools is increasing especially at the pre-tertiary or the basic level. So I’m surprised that government has cut down on the number, the reason being the lack of infrastructure, I disagree, ”he added
He questioned why, given that the money to that purpose had been authorized by Parliament, the government would blame a lack of infrastructure on the new quota system.
“Last year we [Parliament] approved a budget for the construction or improvements of infrastructure in all the public colleges of education. They were to provide dormitories, classrooms, and lecture halls. And I know contracts have been awarded to that effect, so to tell me or the public that it’s because of lack of infrastructure, I disagree’ .
Source: Citinewsroom.
