Self-discipline, time management key to success — Josephine Bagyour
“Self-discipline and time management made me to avoid confrontation and unnecessary punishment from school authorities and that eventually paid off in my education career at the Saint Teresa's College of Education (TERESCO) at Hohoe in the Volta Region". These are the words of Ms Josephine Bagyour, a 22-year-old graduate of the school who emerged the overall best student.
Josephine made herself and her alma mater proud at the recent graduation ceremony. She obtained a First Class and emerged the overall best student of the sixth batch of the Diploma in Basic Education Examinations during the 2011/12 academic year, making the overall cumulative grade point of 3.7.
She did not only come tops in the honours's list but also won prizes in eight disciplines, namely, Catering, HIV, Environment and Social Studies, Project Work and English. The others were Science and Education.
When asked if the achievement was going to be a stepping stone in her life, the young lady laughed and said, “I now aim to become a lecturer in one of the universities.”
Josephine, who now teaches at the Holy Family Roman Catholic Primary School at Nkonya Ntumda in the Biakoye District, agreed that teaching was a noble profession which should be pursued with passion.
"The motivation in teaching is not tangible but once you do it with dedication and commitment, you find an intrinsic joy that keeps you going," she said.
According to Josephine, she had been offered a scholarship by the Institute of Education at the University of Cape Coast due to her achievement to pursue further studies.
She entered the college with an aggregate 18 at the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), having completed the Apam Senior High School where she offered General Arts from 2005-2008.
Her father, Mr Peter Bagyour, being a Prisons Officer, made Josephine to change schools frequently due to his duty transfer.
She started her schooling at the Hope Preparatory School in Sunyani in 2000 but left after Class six to continue at the Rangoon Camp "A" Junior High School at Burma Camp in Accra for another three years from where she got admission to the Apam SHS.
It was from here that she entered TERESCO on the insistence of her uncle, Mr Paul Bagyour, a tutor at St Martin's SHS at Nsawam in the Eastern Region, although she had never set foot in the Volta Region.
At the college, she attached seriousness and self-discipline to her education and also managed her time efficiently. Her special gratitude goes to the Dean of Studies of TERESCO, Mr Jordan Kuma Hlodze, Mrs Angelina Kutin Tandoh, the Principal of the College and all those who in one way or another contributed to her success.
"Now, I always advise the pupils in my school to do the right thing and also uphold a high level of self-discipline," she said.
On poor results being recorded in some basic schools, she blamed it on poor supervision, noting that results in private schools were better because of a proper supervisory culture.
She urged authorities to keep teachers on their toes to enable them produce the needed results. Josephine also urged parents to do their part by investing in the education of their children and also providing them with their needs which will encourage them to be punctual at school and also monitor their performance in school.
Josephine, who lost her mother, Mrs Felicia Bagyour in 2010 while she was at TERESCO after a short illness, is the eldest among three female siblings, Bernice and Benedicta who are 17 and nine years old respectively.
She is a Dargati and hails from Nandom Kyetu in the Nandom District of the Upper West Region. For her best meals, she loves fufu and light soup and akple and okro soup, she said.
By Emmanuel Modey, Nkonya Ntumda
Daily Graphic/graphic.com.gh
Ghana