Teacher trainees boycott lectures over delayed payment of feeding grant

Teacher Trainees across the country boycotted lectures Thursday as part of series of action being taken to push the government to immediately release their feeding grant, which they say has been in arrears since three semesters. At most of the Colleges of Education, students abandoned classes and wore red armbands to protest the delays in payment of the feeding grant as well as to demand the payment of a seven-month arrears of salaries for newly recruited teachers The boycott was instigated by the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana claimed trainees have been forced by principals to pay their feeding grant; something they said has made life for them unbearable. “We are in a state where we cannot foot the bills of feeding fees any longer. As we speak, most trainees risk the chance of writing their end of semester exams because they owe feeding fees” they said. The trainees are expected to continue the boycott on Friday after which they say they would picket at the Ministry of Education on June 5 if government fail to release funds for the payment of the grant by that time. They have indicated their willingness stay over nights at the ministry until the money is released. By Sarah Parku|editors.3news.com|Ghana