Tema Metropolitan Education Directorate honours teachers
The Tema Metropolitan Directorate of Education has awarded 56 teaching and non-teaching staff for their hard work and contributions towards the improvement of education.
The awards, which cover two years, 2016 and 2017, were to recognise and reward outstanding, as well as innovative teachers from pre-school to senior high school (SHS) levels.
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More female teaching and non-teaching staff received awards during the year under review, with 26 females as against 23 males. In 2017, a total of 15 females picked awards as against eight males, but in 2016, 15 males as against 11 females picked awards.
Though the ceremony held annually is basically for public schools, some 20 private schools that have distinguished themselves well in terms of the provision of infrastructure, academic performance and commitment to education of children in the metropolis were also acknowledged and presented with certificates.
Prizes
The award winners received chest coolers, cookware, rice cookers, refrigerators, gas cooker with oven, citations and certificates as their prizes.
For 2016, Mr Joe Innocent Kodjo of the Tetteh Ocloo State School and Mr Bright Badzi of Chemu SHS won the best science and mathematics teachers’ award for the junior and senior high school categories respectively while Mr Alexander Tetteh Odonkor of Our Lady of Mercy (OLAM) SHS was adjudged the best teacher in Information and Communications Technology for 2016.
The Awardees for 2017 included Mrs Rita Brown Fletcher of Chemu SHS, best teacher in Information and Communications Technology, Mr Gadasu Dogbe of Chemu SHS, best teacher in French, Mr Kodwo Aggrey of Naval Base JHS, best teacher in Science and Mathematics, Ms Ester Dewornu, Sakumono TMA Primary, best teacher, Kindergarten category and Nene Akam Apaglo, Manhean Anglican JHS, best teacher, JHS category.
Others are: Mr Exekiel Gamey Community 8/3 Primary, best teacher Primary category, Mr Stephen Opoku, OLAM SHS, Mrs Akosua Frimpomaa Asante-Brown, Chemu SHS, Vocational and Technical Education Category, and Mr Tetteh Abraham Ahumah of Manhean Senior High Technical School who emerged the best in the non-teaching staff category for 2017.
The rest are: Mrs Pascaline Ninfaakang of Oninku Drive Basic School and Mrs Elizabeth Ama Asare of Tema Senior High School, who obtained the overall best head of basic school and second cycle school respectively.
Some of the private schools that were awarded were: Leonardo Basic School, First Star Academy, Queen Esther Schools, Deks Educational Institute, Prince of Peace Presbyterian School and Bethel Methodist School.
Motivation
The Director of Education in Tema, Mrs Margaret Nsiah-Asamoah, said the award scheme for teachers in the metropolis was instituted some decades ago as a form of motivation.
She commended the award winners and urged them to continue working hard in whatever capacity they found themselves to make the teaching profession an enviable one.
Mrs Nsiah-Asamoah encouraged other teachers who did not win any award not to be disappointed, but to work harder so that in future they would also be rewarded.
She also called on government and other stakeholders in education to support education service delivery in the metropolis stressing that “education can only be delivered if teachers are provided with the needed tools.”
Support
The Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Mr Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La commended the Education Directorate for its contribution to education delivery in the metropolis.
He said a number of concrete steps had been put in place to address the challenges confronting the educational sector in the metropolis.
He mentioned some of the measures to include the introduction of an exchange programme where teachers in Tema are sponsored by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly to travel to the United Kingdom for a week-long programme to learn best practices.
He said last year, three teachers were selected from Twedaase Basic School, Manhean and Anglican Methodist School emphasising that the assembly intended to expand the programme to cover more teachers.
The other measures were the construction of fence walls around selected schools in the metropolis to help check encroachment and also improve discipline. The beneficiary schools under the first phase of the project were the Adjetey-Ansah School, Community 7 Basic School, Kotobabi School Complex, Old Lashibi Primary 1 and 2 and Baastonaa School Complex.
He said the assembly had already supplied over 1,500 furniture sets to selected basic schools throughout the metropolis, adding that the next phase would cover the senior high schools.
He further disclosed that as part of efforts to end the shift school system, the assembly had approved the construction of two new 12-unit one storey classroom block for the Kotobabi School Complex and Community 7 number 1 and 2 Junior High Schools, stressing that those projects were targeted at transforming the education sector under the Tema Restoration Agenda being embarked on by the assembly.
Personal development
The acting Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, Mrs Margaret Frempong-Kore, said the role of teachers in the socio-economic development of the country could not be overemphasised and advised teachers to invest in training and development to enable them to acquire knowledge to enhance their output.
She also asked parents to channel most of their resources into the education of their children instead of spending on material things.