National Teachers Awards Scheme launched

Accra (Greater Accra) 30 March '99 Mr Kwabena Kyere, Deputy Minister of Education, said on Tuesday that the winner of the overall National Best Teacher prize will on October five receive a vehicle at Cape Coast to mark this year's World Teachers' Day. He said 400 million cedis is estimated to be spent on prizes for 1,200 teachers. They include motor cycles, television sets and radio cassette recorders. Mr Kyere was launching the 1999 Best Teacher Award scheme aimed at recognising, motivating, rewarding and honouring hardworking teachers and inspiring others to pursue excellence. The criteria for the selection of award winners include professional competence and personality factors such as the moral, emotional and spiritual characteristics of the teacher that makes him/her a model for the youth. Mr Kyere said in spite of the heavy investments government has made and continues to make in education, it has become increasingly clear that it cannot bear the mounting costs alone. He said government appreciates the vital role individuals and corporate bodies are playing to ensure the success of the educational reforms and appealed to them to sponsor the Best Teacher Award. "As collective beneficiaries of Ghana's educational system, we need to ensure that our educational requirements are met through our collective contributions". Mrs Irene Adanusah, deputy secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), said the association is happy that the government and public now recognise the important role of teachers in the development of the nation's human resources. For this reason, GNAT will strive to promote quality education in Ghana, she said and appealed to the private sector, individuals, national and international donors, to invest in public education. Mrs Esi Sutherland-Addy, who presided, said awards to teachers must be seen in a wider spectrum, adding that "the award must not be considered to benefit only teachers but the community as well". She stressed the need to motivate the over 180,000 people employed in the Ghana Education Service.

Accra (Greater Accra) 30 March '99 Mr Kwabena Kyere, Deputy Minister of Education, said on Tuesday that the winner of the overall National Best Teacher prize will on October five receive a vehicle at Cape Coast to mark this year's World Teachers' Day. He said 400 million cedis is estimated to be spent on prizes for 1,200 teachers. They include motor cycles, television sets and radio cassette recorders. Mr Kyere was launching the 1999 Best Teacher Award scheme aimed at recognising, motivating, rewarding and honouring hardworking teachers and inspiring others to pursue excellence. The criteria for the selection of award winners include professional competence and personality factors such as the moral, emotional and spiritual characteristics of the teacher that makes him/her a model for the youth. Mr Kyere said in spite of the heavy investments government has made and continues to make in education, it has become increasingly clear that it cannot bear the mounting costs alone. He said government appreciates the vital role individuals and corporate bodies are playing to ensure the success of the educational reforms and appealed to them to sponsor the Best Teacher Award. "As collective beneficiaries of Ghana's educational system, we need to ensure that our educational requirements are met through our collective contributions". Mrs Irene Adanusah, deputy secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), said the association is happy that the government and public now recognise the important role of teachers in the development of the nation's human resources. For this reason, GNAT will strive to promote quality education in Ghana, she said and appealed to the private sector, individuals, national and international donors, to invest in public education. Mrs Esi Sutherland-Addy, who presided, said awards to teachers must be seen in a wider spectrum, adding that "the award must not be considered to benefit only teachers but the community as well". She stressed the need to motivate the over 180,000 people employed in the Ghana Education Service.