From backlog to breakthrough: Government finally pays trainee allowances
Government clears trainee allowance arrears
Teacher and nursing trainees across Ghana have received long-awaited good news.
The government has officially paid all outstanding allowance arrears from January to June 2025. Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson made this announcement during his Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament.
He assured Parliament that trainees will now receive their monthly payments on time, beginning this July.
Campuses erupt with celebration
The announcement sparked celebrations in many training colleges. Excited trainees received SMS alerts confirming the deposits. Across the country, joy filled classrooms and hostels.
According to Dr. Forson, the total payout included:
- GH¢191.7 million for teacher trainees
- GH¢462.6 million for nursing trainees
Government expands financial support in education
Beyond allowances, the minister revealed other major investments:
- GH¢300 million under the No Fee Stress Policy for tertiary entrants
- GH¢72.8 million for Capitation Grants
- GH¢895 million to sustain the School Feeding Programme
- GH¢122.8 million to cover BECE registration fees
- GH¢21 million for the National Apprenticeship Programme
These figures reflect a broader strategy to ease financial pressure on families and strengthen educational infrastructure nationwide.
Economic stability makes it possible
Dr. Forson attributed the payments to better economic governance.
He pointed to falling inflation and a stable local currency. For more than a month, the Ghana cedi has traded between GH¢10.20 and GH¢10.50 per U.S. dollar. This, he said, shows the success of the government’s economic recovery plan.
Remembering Atta Mills, reflecting on legacy
The Finance Minister also paid tribute to the late President John Evans Atta Mills, whose death occurred exactly 13 years ago to the day.
He used the occasion to highlight how far the country has come.
Dr. Forson said the current administration inherited an economy in deeper crisis than expected. But he insisted that through focused effort, they’ve restored hope and improved financial discipline.
Take-home message
The clearance of trainee allowances marks a turning point. For teacher and nursing trainees, it restores dignity and financial stability. For the government, it reflects accountability and growing public trust. Ghana’s education sector, long strained, is finally getting the support it deserves.
