PTA, SMC, pupils honours teacher trainees

Tepa (Ash), June 18, GNA- The School Management Committee (SMC), Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), staff and pupils of Tepa Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) primary school, at the weekend honoured 12 teacher trainees from Bechem Saint Joseph's Training College for their dedication to work.

The SMC, PTA, the staff, pupils and the Omanhene of Tepa Traditional Area, Nana Adusei Atwenewaah Ampem II presented the trainees, who completed a nine-month teaching practice in the SDA School with various gifts.

Speaking at a farewell ceremony, the Principal of the college, Mr Charles David Mensah praised the teacher trainees for their achievements and said the good relationship between the College and the Ahafo-Ano North district would the educational institution to send more teacher trainees to the area annually.

He said pupil teachers in Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions were to benefit from a four-year distance education course known as "Untrained Teachers Diploma in Basic Education" next year to qualify them as professional teachers.

Mr Akwasi Adu-Poku, the District Chief Executive (DCE), said the district assembly had provided 60 million cedis to support 40 teacher trainees to complete their courses.

He commended the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) for considering the appeals by the public to resume teaching and asked them to continue to dialogue with the education authorities in addressing all outstanding issues.

The DCE said the assembly would address the accommodation problems that face teacher trainees, especially the females ones who are sent to the district, to motivate more students to accept to undertake teaching practice in the area.

Mr J.A.K. Oddoye, the District Director of Education, said the Ghana Education Service (GES) had planned to provide accommodation for teachers throughout the country to enhance teaching and learning. He said education units now had the right to introduce school uniforms for pupils and students but appealed to them not to compel parents to provide new dresses for their children until the old uniforms were faded out.

Mr Oddoye appealed to teachers to adhere to the professional code of conduct and ethics and avoid doing anything that would bring the name of the GES into disrepute.