Sixteen teachers in the Ayawaso East Municipality have been awarded for their outstanding performances in providing quality education in area.
They received flat screen televisions, fridges, gas burners, citations, certificates, among others at the maiden edition of Teacher Awards Ceremony in the municipality.
The Municipal Director of Education, Ayawaso East, Adisa Tassa, commended the teachers for their passion in mentoring and building the potential of pupils.
As the backbone of societies in shaping the next generation of leaders, innovators, and responsible citizens, she said it was imperative that teachers were celebrated and recognised.
“Their passion for teaching is evident in their classroom practices, their mentorship of colleagues, and their unwavering belief in the potential of every learner is marvelous.
“In Ayawaso East, we recognise that investing in our teachers are an investment in the future so we are committed to providing them with the support and resources they need to excel, and we are constantly striving to create the enabling environment where they feel valued, respected, and empowered to make a difference,” Ms Tassa stated.
She said the contribution of teachers in the municipality had seen a steady increase in quality education, which culminated in an overall municipal performance of 84.62 per cent in the 2021 Basic Education Certificate Examination, (BECE) to 88.13 per cent in 2022.
“For the first time in the history of the Municipality, a candidate at Nima ‘1’ Basic chalked a feat of scoring seven ones in the just-ended BECE for 2023,” she said.
In the area of sports, she said the municipality emerged champion in American football and represented Ghana in an international competition in the United States of America last year.
“The same municipality was triumphant in not only retaining the coveted cup but will be representing Ghana and West Africa in the United States of America in February 2024,” she added.
Ms Tassa commended the awardees for their commitment to the learners and to the profession of teaching, adding that “You are true heroes and heroines of education on your well-deserved recognition, dedication, and hard work. You are simply a source of inspiration for us”.
She said the municipality would work together to create an environment where teaching was valued, respected, and celebrated, and every learner had the opportunity to reach his or her fullest potential.
The Chief Executive, Salma Mohammed Sani Adams Kuta, Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly, commended the awardees for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of quality education in the country.
“I wish to acknowledge the commitment and sacrifices of teachers in the country and most especially in our municipality, and to note that these sacrifices, commitment and contribution to national development has profound influence on countless lives,” she stated.
The Accra Metro West, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Secretary, Bernard K. Asinyo, said quality education had the power to transform societies, provide children with protection they needed from the hazards of poverty and give them the knowledge, skills and the confidence to reach their full potential.
He called on the government to provide the conducive environment including classrooms, furniture, textbooks, well-resourced libraries and ICT centres to enable the teachers undertake their responsibilities.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
