Following the new educational reforms in the education sector, Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah has stated that the action taken by the Akufo-Addo government is to make teaching, as a profession attractive to younger nationals who want to pursue a career in education.
Delivering a speech at the official launch of the 2019 Ghana Teachers Awards at the Ghana National Teachers Association Hall in Accra, he said, "I believe the theme for this year’s celebrations which is young teachers, the future of the profession is particularly appropriate. I believe with the reforms currently underway, we would soon get to the point where the image and standing of the teaching profession will be tremendously enhanced and the words I am a teacher will evoke greater admiration and respect".
According to him, the president's vision in pursuing several reforms in education, Free Senior High School programme, the Curriculum reforms, investment in TVET among others by the government is to give room for citizens to enjoy quality and accessible education.
For students to enjoy quality education, the minister requested that the teaching job should be skewed and opened for only professionals who have been certified by the appropriate authority.
Professor Yankah said, “Calling oneself as a teacher must no longer be opened to just anyone but rather only those who have undergone the necessary training, have met the relevant standards have been declared fit to practise the profession by regulatory set up for that purpose".
He added that, for the job to be enticing, teachers need to excite the class, be “facilitators of learning rather than one who force-feeds information on the learner, forcefully framing it as knowledge transfer”.
He further said a teacher must be innovative, inspiring and understand the different learning abilities of students and respond accordingly.
About the 2019 Ghana Teachers Awards
The grand durbar of the 2019 Ghana Teacher Prize would take place on October 5, 2019 at the Paa Joe Stadium in Kumasi.
The award is to celebrate the contributions of hardworking, selfless teachers in the education sector.
The following are some of the categories that will be awarded. Ghana’s Most Outstanding Teacher will receive a 3 bedroom apartment, among other prizes, First runner up to receive brand new 4x4 pickup, and the Second runner up to take home a saloon car.
Other awards categories are; Best pre-school teacher, Best primary school teacher, Best JHS teacher, Best Senior High School Teacher, Best Special School, Best HIV/AIDS alert school, among others.
These awards are mainly financed by the government of Ghana and other philanthropic organizations that are highly interested in education.
But before the grand durbar, there would be an edu-conference, dissemination of research findings, exhibition and symposium aimed at exposing participants to innovative approaches and best practices that support teacher effectiveness and higher learning outcome.
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