Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has called on the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to address overlaps between teacher trainee allowance and the “No Fees Stress” policy to ensure sustainability.
According to him, the coexistence of the two policies risks duplication in fee payments.
“We are paying teacher trainee allowances. And if first-year students are also benefiting from No Fees Stress, we need to avoid duplication. government needs some GH¢400 to GH¢500 million annually to sustain both,” he said.
Mr. Iddrisu proposed dedicating 2.5 percent of petroleum revenue to human capital development and establishing a Scholarship & Disbursement Authority to provide reliable financing.
“If the country can dedicate two and a half percent of our petroleum revenue, then in future we can have a reliable source to finance No Fees Stress and scholarships. It helps us as a country, there are parents and students who are struggling,” he added.
He stressed the need for a sustainable funding model beyond annual budget allocations, warning that reliance on the Ministry of Finance could threaten the continuity of the interventions.
“This is one of the most impactful interventions of President Mahama. We must find a way to make it last,” the Minister emphasized.
