Falling education standards blamed on lack of motivation for teachers

Anloga (V/R), Feb. 3, GNA - The Keta District Director of Education, Mr Simon K. Dewotor has attributed the falling standards of education in the country to the lack of motivation for teachers and other educational workers.

He debunked the view held by a section of the public that "teachers' reward is in heaven", saying "even the best educational policy that did not take teachers remuneration and conditions of service into account will fail to improve the quality of education as it stands now".

Mr Dewotor made these remarks at the launch of the fourth community/schools clean up contest organized by the Environmental Health Unit of the Keta District Assembly at Anloga E.P. School premises in the Volta Region on Wednesday.

He expressed regret that even though teachers had taught and groomed the rank and file of workers everywhere in the world, they had been marginalised and discriminated against in society making it difficult for them to discharge their duties effectively, let along taking on extra responsibilities in their communities.

Education, he said held the key to any meaningful development and appealed to the government to ensure that in effort to improve the quality of education, teachers be made the centre-piece of policies and properly remunerated to commensurate the increasing demands on the role they were expected to play in schools and communities.

The Keta DCE Mr Edward K. Ahiabor, tasked the teachers to intensify the study and practice of cleanliness as a way of maintaining good health and environmental sanitation, to prevent the spread of diseases in our communities.

Mr Ahiabor, a soil scientist and irrigation expert, cautioned residents that "our water bodies have become so contaminated that the occupants of this planet are at risk because wastes like plastics, rubber, meals, wood and glass have found their way into our steams, seas and lagoons."

He stressed the need for District Assemblies to come out with stringent laws and regulations to check the activities of sachet water producers and distributors to curb "the dangers posed by these wastes to our fragile environment."

The District Environmental Health Officer, Mr Charles Otoo said the contest, which was instituted four years ago had become very keenly contested because of the attractive prizes that went with it, adding, "that this year the first three winners would each have a 10 seater WC toilet built for them.

The Clan Chief, Torgbui Dallah Avege III, who chaired the function, expressed regret over the deteriorating sanitary conditions in the area, saying the traditional method of 'exorcising' in the past had been rejected by the youth as 'fetish'.

The District Chief Executive donated more than 26,000 exercise books to the schools in Anloga.

Mr John K. Togobo, vice chairman of the District Head teachers' Association, received the exercise books on behalf of the schools.