Faith Aku Dzakpasu of Greta D Shepherd Basic School in Greater Accra, emerged the most outstanding teacher at the Ghana Teacher Prize 2023 ceremony held at the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) in Takoradi, in the Western Region, yesterday.
For her prize, Faith received a three-bedroom house valued at GH¢450,000, an educational trip to Singapore, a GH¢1,000,000 life insurance and scholarship for further studies.
First runner up, Issabella Wussah-Tetteh of Sege D/A Primary, received a 4×4 pick up truck and scholarship package, whiles second runner up, Fredous Iddi Amin, also received a salon car and a scholarship package.
The best College of Education tutor prize went to Benjamin Semenyo Lifeson of Presbyterian College of Education in the Eastern Region and received a 4×4 pick up whiles best teacher, leadership administration, Abraham Fletcher, Municipal Education Director, Sefwi Wiawso, also received a salon car, life insurance and trip to Singapore.
Andrews Danso, Principal Administrative Officer, Apersua Community Senior High School, became the best- non teaching staff and awarded a salon car, life insurance and a trip to Singapore.
The event was on the theme “The teacher we need: For the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage”.
The Ghana Teacher Prize was established to boost the morale of teachers which had remained at its lowest ebb for over decades.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Ghana’s education system suffered an unimaginable exodus of teachers to some African countries, particularly Nigeria.
So in 1993, there was a global call for governments to make conscious efforts to improve the conditions of work of teachers. This call came at the heels of the 1990 Education for all Declaration in Jomtien, Thailand.
Following this UNESCO in collaboration with Education International (EI) in 1994, declared
October 5 each year, as World Teachers Day, to commemorate the 1966 UNESCO/ILO declaration on the status of teachers.
Ghana also instituted an award scheme to celebrate Ghanaian teachers for their incredible sacrifices they make to educate the younger generation and also to forestall the recurrence of mass exodus.
Registrar, National Teaching Council, Dr Christian Addai-Poku, in his address, said “October 5, is a day the whole nation rises in recognition of teachers’ priceless and inestimable contributions to humanity and modern society.”
He noted that the remarkable manner Ghana celebrated the day, had been a subject of benchmarking among nations at the continental and global levels.
Dr Addai-Poku told the gathering that “We wake up in the morning full of smiles, because we know that, there will be no civility on the planet, without us, there will be no development in our nation without us there will be no prosperity of our people.”
Director-General, Ghana Education Service, Dr Eric Nkansah, also stressed the significance of teachers in society today, saying the event was “consistent with the vision of prioritising teacher welfare and professional development.”
“It is my fervent hope that the Ghana Teacher Prize will continue to serve as platform to celebrate the dedication and hard work of our teachers,” he prayed.
FROM CLEMENT ADZE BOYE, TAKORADI
