Teacher trainees across Ghana will now receive only one meal per day due to financial constraints stemming from the government’s GHS 8 daily feeding allocation. Colleges of education cite rising food prices and budget shortfalls as key reasons for the reduction, sparking concern among students and education stakeholders. The development has reignited calls for a review of the current feeding budget to ensure the welfare of trainee teachers is not compromised.
The Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF) has announced a major adjustment to feeding arrangements in all 47 public Colleges of Education across Ghana, reducing the number of daily meals served to students,
The move, effective June 16, 2025, comes amid escalating food and logistics costs that have rendered the current feeding model financially unsustainable.
At the heart of the issue is a long-standing funding arrangement that allocates GHS 196 per month, equivalent to GHS 8.00 per student per day, for feeding, drawn from the government’s GHS 400 monthly grant to each trainee.
PRINCOF says repeated appeals to the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG) to revise this daily rate have not yielded results, despite mounting financial pressure.
“After extensive consultations and a review of our operating costs, it has become clear that continuing to provide three meals a day under the current budget would compromise the sustainability of our colleges,” PRINCOF said in a June 16 letter to TTAG.
The principals cite both rising food prices and increasing overhead costs, such as transportation, storage, and staffing, as key factors making the current arrangement unworkable. The new policy will provide one hot meal daily to all residential students, while colleges focus on preserving core academic and operational services.
Though PRINCOF maintains that the decision was taken in the best interest of institutional survival, the shift raises questions about the adequacy of current funding mechanisms in the face of persistent inflation and growing student populations.
Sector observers note that without a review of the feeding component of government subventions, further strain could be placed on the welfare of trainee teachers, many of whom rely entirely on the grant system for sustenance during their academic training.
PRINCOF says it remains open to working with TTAG, the Ministry of Education, and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to find a sustainable solution that balances fiscal responsibility with student welfare.
Last Updated on June 17, 2025 by Senel Media
