Teachers in Upper Manya lauded for BECE performance
The District Director of Education for Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region, Evelyn Tawiah Nyabu, has praised teachers in the district for the overall performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) over the past 12 years.
She said there was still room for improvement, “As a district carved out of the Manya Krobo District in 2012, we have made tremendous efforts to improve BECE performance over the years.
“To help you better appreciate our current level of performance, allow me to walk you through the BECE pass rates recorded since 2012. In 2012, we had 27.50 per cent; 2013, 14.70 per cent; 2014, 25.80; 2015, 34.90 per cent; 2016, 34.74 per cent; 2017, 40.32 per cent; 2018, 42.36 per cent; 2019, 62.50 per cent; 2020, 68. 45 per cent; 2021, 66.17 per cent; 2022, 92.59 per cent and 2023, 87.90 per cent.”
The district director made the recommendation as the guest speaker at the maiden edition of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Upper Manya Krobo District Seventh Quadrennial (54th) District Delegates Conference at Asesewa on the theme: “Ghana Education Service @ 50; Achievements, Teacher Motivation, Challenges and the Way Forward.”
The conference elected new executives for the next four years.
They are: Chairman, Ebenezer Kodjo Narh; Vice Chairman, Gideon Komla Amevor; Basic School representative, Solomon Matey Wayo; Youth Coordinator, Moses Atteh Obimpeh; Treasurer, Philip Yeboah; Trustee, Stephen Narh Kwesi; GNAT- Ladies representative, Esther Dede Duamor; Education Office representative, Eric Sackitey and Senior High School representative, Wisdom Kweku Voegborlo.
Ms Nyabu stated that this remarkable progress should be acknowledged and appreciated, considering how far the district had come as an underserved area.
She urged the teachers not to rest on their laurels.
Teacher motivation
She stated that no formal education could surpass the quality of its teachers; therefore, teacher motivation was not a luxury but a necessity.
She, however, added that teachers remain the torchbearers of national transformation.
Yet, their morale is often weighed down by inadequate pay, delayed promotions, lack of accommodation, limited professional development opportunities, and above all, over-stressed workloads, adding “these realities cannot be ignored.”
“Let us rethink teacher motivation beyond monetary incentives as recognition. Leadership opportunities, access to postgraduate scholarships, ICT tools, mentorship and psychosocial support should be integral to our framework for teachers,” the district director emphasised.
The Upper Manya Krobo GNAT Secretary, Livingstone Avorgbedor (Esq), urged the Ghana Education Service, the employer of teachers, to address the needs of teachers such as allowances in deprived areas and telecommunication network access to motivate them to remain in these communities and work, just like their counterparts in urban areas, in the best interest of the learners.
Teacher deficit
The District GNAT Chairman, Ebenezer Kodjo Narh, cited teacher shortages, poor networking systems, and language barriers as some of the key issues facing teachers in the district.
He stated that a deficit of 400 teachers in the district led GES to consider posting additional teachers to meet the required teacher quota.
The Eastern Regional Trustee of GNAT, Rev. Michael Appiah, who presided over the conference on behalf of the regional secretary, urged union members to remain loyal and resolute, as GNAT would continue to fight for their rights as teachers.
