The
Member of Parliament for Aburi-Nsawam, Osei Bonsu-Amoah, has assured teachers
in the country of the New Patriotic Party’s continued commitment to improving
their welfare and conditions of service.
According
to Mr Amoah, it is the party’s commitment to the welfare of teachers that had
motivated the Teacher First Policy expected to be implemented by the next NPP
government under the presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He
explained that under the Teacher First Policy the NPP would focus on the “3Rs”
of teacher recruitment, teacher retraining and teacher retention, adding that
this is a sine qua non for the provision of quality education for the nation’s
future leaders.
“The
NPP believe that the best legacy that can be bequeathed to any individual or
group is quality education, and that is why the next NPP government under Nana
Addo want to commit more resources into the educational sector, to make his
proposed free senior high education a reality. And in doing so, we recognise
the pivotal role teachers play in education delivery and that is why we are
putting them first in our plan,” he stated.
The
former Minister for Youth and Sports in the previous Kufuor administration was
speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Best Teacher Award ceremony of
the Akuapem South Municipality at Nsawam last Thursday.
The
Best Teacher Award, which covered the period 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, was
co-sponsored by Mr Amoah, who had expressed worry about the inability of the
Municipality to honour their teachers for their contribution to the area’s
development.
In February, 2012, while presenting 120 sets of duel
desks and 28 computers to the Municipal Directorate of Education for
distribution to some selected schools in the area, the MP
pledged to sponsor two years of the backlog and
called on the Assembly to also sponsor the other two years.
He lamented at the time: “It is not right to fail to
recognise the sacrifices our teachers are making to provide education for our
children, to prepare them as future leaders, and we therefore don’t have any
excuse not to honour them.”
In all, 46 teachers from both basic and second cycle
schools who had distinguished themselves in their work received prizes in a
form of certificates, television sets, gas cookers and refrigerators.
The Municipal Director of Education, Stella Nanor, praised
the award winners for their exceptional devotion to duty and urged other
teachers in the area to learn from their shining examples.
Mrs Nanor also commended Mr Amoah for his commitment to
education in the area, especially the sponsorship he provided to make the Best
Teacher Award a reality.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Mark Dompreh, pledged
the Assembly’s commitment to sustain the Best Teacher Award to assure teachers
in the area that their contribution is cherished.
The ceremony was chaired by Nana Kwafo Kraban III, Krontihene
of Akuapem Anafo, who represented the Omanhene of Aburi Traditional Area,
Otubour Djan Kwasi.
