Rita Oppong’s efforts pay off. Crowned 2016 Best National Teacher
She had an ambition to become a nurse growing up, but 41-year-old Rita Oppong could not achieve her aim due to her inability to get the required grade in Biology.
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She therefore, to be convinced by her father and elder sibling to enter into the teaching profession.
However, she had not looked back after passing out from the Agogo Presbyterian College of Education in 1998, and had not relented in her interest in imparting knowledge to her students in all the schools she had taught over the years.
18-year period
Ms Oppong’s efforts over the 18-year period in the teaching profession paid off at the Jubilee Park, Sunyani on Wednesday, October 5, 2016, when she was crowned the Best National Teacher for 2016.
The proud Visual Arts teacher at the Sowah Din Two Memorial School at Adentan JHS in the Greater Accra Region, who was accompanied by her proud husband, Sergeant Daniel Offei (retired) and a retinue of officials from the Ghana Education Service (GES) office in her region, received a cheque for GH¢ 100,000.00 for the construction of a three-bedroom house as her prize.
The humble, unassuming award winner offered the Daily Graphic an exclusive interview, as late as 10.30 p.m. on the day she won the award.
She described the occasion as “The happiest day in my life. I least expected to win the overall award and I am grateful to God, my headmaster, husband and parents for assisting me to achieve such a feat”.
Ms Oppong graduated from the Agogo Teacher Training College in 1998 and was posted to the Akutuoase L/A Junior Secondary School in the Eastern Region at the age of 21.
After teaching for two years, she entered the University of Education, Winneba between 2001 and 2005 to further her education, and majored in Art Education.
After graduation, she was posted to the Six Garrison Basic Education at Kamina Barracks in Tamale, where her husband was working as a soldier, and taught for seven years before she relocated to her current school as a result of the transfer of her husband.
While in Accra, the award winner enrolled at her alma Mater, UEW, to pursue a master’s Degree programme in Art and Culture (Sandwich) and completed in 2013.
Interest in Girl-Child
Ms Oppong told the Daily Graphic that she had taken her students as her own children and that had enabled her to train them in the acquisition of skills in beads and batik tie-dye works.
As a girl-child facilitator, she organises programmes and invites role models to talk to them.
“All my lessons are activity-based and I make sure that the students are involved and I am happy when I see them acquiring the skills I impart to them”.
Award
On the award, Ms Oppong said it was her first time taking part, stressing, “Even I was encouraged by my headmaster, Mr Ibrahim Mumuni, who convinced me to take part. He was also the same man who encouraged me to further my studies”.
One criterion for the award is the impact the awardee has made on his or her community. Ms Oppong explained to the Daily Graphic that she had been able to train some JHS students who could not make it to the Senior High School (SHS) in beads and tie-dye making, who are currently self-employed.
She also designed the school’s ceremonial cloth in addition to the decoration of walls to make the compound attractive.
Family life
Ms Oppong has been married for 18 years with three girls and one boy and says she is fond of her children.
Her husband, Sergeant Offei (retd), praised her for her love, commitment, humility, understanding and hard work, which has culminated in her achievements.
Advice to the girl-child, fellow teachers
Ms Oppong called on the young girls to be focused and refrain from indulging in early sex, to enable them to become useful to themselves and the society.
She advised her fellow teachers to be regular and punctual to school since her award had shown that people were watching their deeds.
“Let us work hard to leave indelible prints at wherever we will be posted to,” she stated.
To crown it all, she thanked teachers who taught her, such as Mr Kissiedu and Mr Kwao, who according to her, inculcated in her good moral behaviour, because they were very strict on their pupils.