20 Teachers honoured in Okere District - 54 Others in hard-to-reach communities rewarded
Twenty teachers in the kindergarten, primary, junior high school, senior high/TVET, non-teaching staff, management and leadership in the Okere District have been rewarded at the Okere District teachers award ceremony at Okere in the Eastern Region.
Advertisement
Another 54 teachers in hard-to-reach communities scattered in the downhill of the district were also rewarded. Speaking at the ceremony, Member of Parliament for Okere, Dan Botwe, said teachers' role in shaping and moulding the character of the youth remained critical, especially “in this era of technological advancement”.
“The role of the teacher goes beyond just standing in front of the blackboard and teaching, the role of the teacher in moulding and laying a solid foundation in character formation remains relevant now than ever”.
The former Minister of State emphasised that despite the ban on caning and corporal punishment, students needed to be disciplined and guided and, therefore, the role of the teacher could not be discounted in that regard.
The MP urged teachers not to relent in their efforts to discipline students and inculcate good societal values in them.
He lauded teachers for their contribution towards national development and teachers in Okere in particular for their commitment towards measures to improve education in the area.
Commitment
Mr Botwe recalled the commitment of teachers in Okere when the innovative extra classes and boarding for all Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates was instituted years ago to improve BECE results in the district and thanked them immensely.
He said for the past 16 years as MP, he had worked closely with teachers in the area and had no doubt that with the support of all stakeholders including traditional authorities, the gains made in improving the standards of education and achieving the desired results in the district would stand tall in academic affairs.
Other Trending Stories
He donated GH¢50,000 on behalf of his siblings and the Master Dako Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation instituted on behalf of the MP’s father who was a teacher-catechist of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, for the next four years towards the teacher's awards in Okere.
A teacher at the Nifa Senior High School, Eric Darko, was adjudged the best teacher in the district while, the Headmistress of the Adukrom Presbyterian Primary School, Bernice Hanson, was the best head teacher among others.
The Eastern Regional Director of Education, Dr Ivy Asantewa Owusu, commended the awardees for their outstanding achievement and commitment towards the teaching profession in the district and said she hoped that it would motivate others to work hard.
She noted that celebrating brilliance in education helped to create a culture of excellence within schools in the communities, creates a culture of excellence and sets high standards for academic achievement.
The Okere District Director of Education, Agnes Abban, said the BECE pass rate at the cut-off point of aggregate 36 had been improving since 2019.
She thanked Mr Botwe for his immense support towards education; School Management la Committees (SMCs) and all other stakeholders for playing pivotal roles in supporting teaching and learning.