O B Amoah: NPP committed to teachers’ welfare

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.