National Best Teacher Award rebranded - it’s now Ghana Teacher Prize
This year’s National Best Teacher Award scheme has been renamed and rebranded as Ghana Teacher Prize, with international standard as the new benchmark.
The awards ceremony will be preceded by a two-day symposium, educational fair and seminar dubbed: “Ghana’s Most Outstanding Teacher Prize Forum”, to be climaxed on the third day with the awards ceremony.
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The two-day programme preceding the occasion will also showcase evidenced-based projects of the Ministry of Education and its institutions, as well as research findings from academia, advertisement, showcase of educational materials among others.
On the theme: “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher,” the Ghana Teacher Prize 2018, which will begin on October 3 and be climaxed on October 5, 2018, will honour outstanding teachers for their exemplary leadership and work that have affected and transformed the lives of the students in their care and the community around them.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Executive Secretary of the National Teaching Council (NTC), Dr (Mrs) Evelyn Owusu Oduro, explained that the Ministry of Education was committed to recognising the contributions of hardworking and selfless teachers towards the improvement of education in the country through the teachers’ day celebration.
Objective
Dr Mrs Oduro said the major objective of the scheme was to motivate teachers for higher performance and also restore the respect of the profession.
She indicated that the prize was open to teachers in both private and public schools at the pre-tertiary level and teachers on voluntary teaching service.
Dr (Mrs) Oduro mentioned that the ceremony would be conducted annually where teachers would be celebrated at an agreed venue, adding that this year’s ceremony would be held at the Economics Department Hall, University of Ghana, Legon.
She noted that the event would begin with the launch on August 13, 2018 at the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) conference hall, where the media would be briefed on the activities that would be carried out from then to October 5, 2018.
Awards category
Dr (Mrs) Oduro said in addition to the Ghana’s Most Outstanding Teacher Award, other awards category that would be recognised during the occasion would include Ghana’s Most Outstanding Teacher, first and second runner-ups and the Best Pre-School Teacher.
Other categories, according to her, would include the Best Primary School Teacher, Best Junior High School Teacher, Best Senior High School Teacher, Best Special School and the HIV/AIDS Most Alert School.
Prizes
Dr (Mrs) Oduro said the most outstanding teacher would take home a three-bedroom house plus a GH¢5,000 endowment fund, the first runner-up would receive a 4x4 Pickup while the second runner-up received a saloon car.
Other prizes, she noted, would include fridges, deep freezers, laptops, television sets, branded 'T'-shirts, books/pens, endowment fund and cash prizes.
The judging team
The judging team for the selection process will include public officials, head teachers, academics, journalists, entrepreneurs, company directors, scientists and entertainment figures from around the world who in diverse ways share the common goal of shining a spotlight on the great work that teachers do. The team will adopt a comprehensive judging criteria for the entire process.
Sponsorship categories
Dr (Mrs) Oduro said the sponsorship package would be categorised into Platinum Sponsor of GH¢300,000 and above, Diamond Sponsor of between GH¢200,000 and GH¢290,000, Gold Sponsor of between GH¢100,000 and GH¢190,000 and Silver Sponsor of GH¢50,000 to GH¢99,000.
Other categories are the Bronze Sponsor (one) of between GH¢30,000 and GH¢49,000 and the Bronze Sponsor (two) of between GH¢30,000 and GH¢49,000.
There are also Support package categories, for instance Category 'A' support, which is up to a GH¢20,000 sponsorship of Regional Best Teacher Award Winner and Category 'B' support of up to GH¢20,000 sponsorship of National Best HIV-Alert School.