Otumfuo fights for teachers

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, insists teachers in the country should be provided with the best incentives to enable them to sustain their good works for society.

Considering their essential duties of training the youth of the country, the Asante king stressed that the welfare of teachers should be a priority to government and the country at large.

Otumfuo reiterated his personal commitment to ensuring that teachers were given the best of treatment and incentives so that they would deliver without any hindrance.

Providing better incentives and working conditions for teachers always, he said, was crucial to boost the morale of teachers in the country, urging all stakeholders to support teachers to deliver.

Otumfuo was speaking at this year’s Teachers Awards ceremony at the Manhyia Palace where 100 hardworking teachers, selected from remote areas across the country were rewarded handsomely.

The awards, organized by the Otumfuo Charity Foundation, is intended to spur teachers on, and to make them feel appreciated for their efforts in providing knowledge to pupils in deprived communities.

Otumfuo expressed concern over the toils and frustrations teachers in deprived communities endured on daily basis as they thrived to provide education to children in the remote areas.

According to him, teachers who forfeited the luxury of city life and accepted postings to the rural areas to teach deserved to be motivated, supported, encouraged and pampered to continue with their good works.

This year’s award ceremony saw 100 teachers drawn from the ten regions of the country receiving prizes comprising of television sets, wellington boots, box irons, solar- powered chargeable lamps, rain coats and certificates of appreciation.

The award ceremony was in its 3rd year. Ten teachers from each of the ten regions of the country received an award for their hard work and dedication to motivate other teachers to emulate their shining example.

Otumfuo mentioned the Lady Julia Foundation (LJF) spearheaded by his wife as a means by which the Palace intends to provide awareness to the citizenry of the deadly nature of malaria, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

He announced the LJF had secured computers for schools pursuing ICT in deprived areas, noting that some four schools in the Kenyasi community had already benefitted from the facility.

Benjamin Antwi, a teacher from Central Region, after receiving his award, showered praises on Asantehene for his continual efforts to improve upon the lives of teachers.

He was of the opinion that the Asantehene’s efforts would ginger teachers, notably those teaching in the rural areas, to go the extra mile by providing quality teaching to their students.

Dr Agyarko Poku, Chairman of the Otumfuo Charity Foundation pledged his outfit’s commitment to seeking for hardworking teachers in deprived areas for award in future.

He stressed the need to do more in upgrading the standards of education, particularly in deprived communities so as to make pupils relevant to the society after school.

Dr Poku insisted that parents should take absolute interest in the education of their wards, reminding parents that they would in future reap benefits from the type of education they gave to their children now.