Three female teachers made a clean sweep of this year’s Teacher’s Prize Day, as they emerged as the top three winners, amid tears of joy.
Ms Sabina Aba Dosu of the Saint Dominic’s Roman Catholic Junior High School at Akwatia, in the Denkyembour District of the Eastern Region, emerged the most outstanding teacher.
Also winning on the day were Philippa Darko of the State Experimental School, in Kumasi, who picked up the first runner-up position, while Christiana K. Yeye of the Yumba Special School for the Intellectually Disabled in Tamale, Northern Region, took the second runner-up award.
For her prize, Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, presented Sabina with the model of a three-bedroom house, worth GH¢180,000.00 donated by SIC Life.
Philippa was presented with the keys to her prize of a 4X4 pick-up vehicle while Christiana won a saloon car.
Moments after receiving the coveted prize at the Paa Joe Stadium of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, venue of the event, Sabina broke into tears of joy, with members of her large entourage and several teachers consoling her.
The Vice President, the special guest, acknowledged the special role and contributions of teachers towards nation building, and pledged the continued commitment of the government to seek their welfare.
“It is often said, that if you can read, thank a teacher, that is indeed true, but let me add this, if you can think, thank a teacher. I say this because our teachers do not only teach us to read and to do multiplication of tables, they challenge and inspire us, help us to explore and maximise our abilities and talents and bring out the potential in us,” the Vice President explained.
“Teachers excite our imagination and bring the world to the confines of our classrooms, as much as they carry us out into the world beyond those walls, and reach out to other cultures and societies through the power of the written and spoken word.
“Teachers are our friends, our inspirers and solid rocks in the lives of many young children, especially those who are coming from poor homes where education is yet to take root.
“I salute our gallant teachers who in many instances work under challenging instances and conditions. This nation is grateful and we will not forget you. We must and will continue to strive to make life better and more dignified,” Dr Bawumia stated.
Dr Bawumia said the youth of every organisation truly reflected its future and that education could not be any different, “which is why we continue to take steps to ensure that young people are attracted into the profession as a first and not a last option.”
He said in line with government efforts to empower teachers to better their professional and social lives, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with development partners was in collaboration with the Norwegian Teacher Initiative to develop a comprehensive teacher policy for approval and subsequent implementation.
The policy, he added, would enable the Ghanaian teacher be competitive at the international level.
Dr Bawumia acknowledged that the quality of students depended on the level of investments government and parents make in the student.
“For us as a government, our vision is that no child should be denied the opportunity of senior high school education by reason of his or her family’s financial circumstances.
“That is the cornerstone of our flagship Free SHS policy which was rolled out in September 2017.
“We must all be delighted by the fact that enrolment in senior high schools across all three years is expected to hit 1.2 million students this academic year. That is massive.
“So clearly we are improving access and we will continue to improve access.
“It is not costless but President Nana Akufo-Addo has made it very clear that the cost of not educating our children is much higher than the cost of educating them,” Dr Bawumia said.
He said government would continue to pay the price of educating the future generations because it is in the interest of the nation so to do.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
