A Ghanaian teacher, Evans Odei, has made it to the 10 finalists of the US$1 million Global Teacher Prize 2021.
Mr Odei who currently teaches at the Achimota Senior High School, is the first Ghanaian to have made it to the 10 finalists, after the late Professor SitsopheAnku made it to the 50th finalist in 2018.
The event is organised annually by Varkey Foundation to recognise hard working teachers who go the extra mile to make teaching and learning more interesting and understanding to students.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accra, Mr Odei said with over 20 years’ experience in teaching, he noticed that students skipped classes, especially mathematics.
According to him, this made it difficult for students to gain admission to tertiary institutions to further their education.
“So I decided to set up a free ‘Mathematics Clinic’ to engage students who had a phobia of learning the subject and also to make learning easier for them,” he said.
Mr Odei said he used the opportunity to offer students counselling for them to know that they could also achieve and become successful in life.
“My target was the average and below average students who needed extra help to make a difference,” he said.
Mr Odei said this changed students’ perception and participation led to a marked reduction in truancy and improvement in test results.
He was optimistic that he would bring the prize home to enable him offer more to vulnerable students.
The winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2021 will be announced on November 10 via a virtual ceremony at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.
Mr Odei was selected from over 8,000 nominations and applications from 121 countries around the world!
His hardwork was recognised when he taught at Swedru School of Business Senior High in the Central Region.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
