Bolgatanga, Feb 3, GNA – The Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Upper East Region has given awards to its best performing teachers in Bolgatanga with a call on all stakeholders to support and encourage teachers.
“The Teacher is not just an agent of change but also a catalyst and a shaper of the conscience of the nation and therefore, should be regarded and supported to enable them deliver positively for the development of the country”, Ms Veronica L. Seidu, acting Regional Director of GES said
Ms Seidu told the award winners that it was their individual contributions and efforts towards the Educational Policy objectives and the Educational Reforms that earned them the awards. The Joint Best Teacher/Worker award ceremony was on the theme, ‘The New Educational Reforms, The teacher as an Agent of change’ and covered the 2005 and 2006 best performing teachers. The 50 Award winners were chosen under the categories of general teaching performance, science and mathematics, technical and vocational studies. It covered Primary Schools, Junior and Senior High Schools, Teachers Training Colleges and non teaching staff.
Mr. Samuel N’Laare, Chief Director of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, appealed to teachers to continue working hard and render selfless and dedicated services to the country. He said the awards were to motivate the teachers to give off their best and should not discourage those who had not received prizes from doing their best.
Mr. Robert A. Ajene, a retired educationist, appealed to Municipal and District assemblies in the region to support teacher trainees in school so they would later serve in their various districts. He appealed to assemblies to take interest in the teachers who serve in their districts and motivate them in their own ways to stay in the schools and do their best for the pupils.
Speaking on behalf of the award winners Mr. Solomon Adongo, a teacher from Gowrie Senior Technical School, suggested that Heads of schools and Supervisors be included in the award programme as they too needed motivation to perform well.
He said it was rather not good that the awards had been delayed for long and that such long delays could defeat the purpose of the scheme. The first prize winner took home a double door refrigerator, second, a 21-inch television and the third prize, a four burner gas cooker.
