At Ghana Teacher Prize 2023 ceremony: We’re committed to investing in teachers … to ensure quality education of Ghanaian children – President

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has underscored the role of quality teachers in promoting access and inclusive education in Ghana.

Teachers, he noted, played a paramount role in education and development, as they prepare and mould the next future generations.

President Akufo-Addo made this observation at the Teacher Prize ceremony held at GSTS in Takoradi, in the Western Region, yesterday, which coincided with World Teach­ers Day.

“We need professional teachers to facilitate teaching and learning skills, we need teacher who inspire and guide and not just as academicians in science and technical education. We need teachers who are enthusi­astic about service and dedication and not one sided,” he said.

Government, he said, was working with relevant stakeholders to produce teachers who meet the dynamics of the 21st century.

President Akufo-Addo said, the National Teaching Council (NTC) was working to improve the licen­sure exams to meet professional standards and “ensure that teach­ers don’t remain stale, but become relevant in the ever changing and dynamics in world of knowledge and skills development.”

He said, Ghana needed an education that promoted science, technical and vocational training especially among girls.

He stressed “government is of firm belief that investing in teachers is paramount in ensuring quality education for all Ghanaian children. Government remained committed to in improve learning outcomes in schools in critical thinking and creativity and problem solving to empower our youth to navigate the challenges of the 21st century.”

President Akufo-Addo explained that, the minimum qualification of teaching upgraded from diplo­ma to Bachelor Degree, would be reviewed in line with global dynamics, whilst infrastructure and learning resources in the education sector, would also be enhanced.

Government’s commitment to education, he argued, was exempla­ry, and that quality education agenda was on course, adding that, there was no questions about the quality of products of the free SHS policy.

The President noted that, even the “doubting Thomases” had now proposed that the private schools should be roped into the reforms including the free SHS.

President Nana Addo said “in all these, they say nothing had been done. I thank teachers for the impressive results at the WASSCE, since the commencement of the Free SHS programme. The results of the 2022 batch has been out­standing especially the double track; the criticism had been unfounded.”

He said, the reforms had improve access, inclusion and participation at all levels of Ghana’s education in the past six years, assuring that government would deploy resources tailored to improve quality educa­tion.

He paid homage to teachers who were dedicated to build the future of the next generation and wished the awardees well in their profes­sional careers.

Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, for his part, rec­ognised that education was key for Africa and Ghana, to participate in the fourth industrial revolution.

He stated that quality education, robotics was relevant to enable Ghana participate in the fast changing world.

Dr Adutwum expressed happi­ness that quality of the Ghanaian teacher could be attested in all parts of the world and assured that government remained committed to invest in the education sector to make it better.

He believed that shortage of teachers particularly in the hard to reach areas could curtailed, noting that so many people were waiting to teach.

The minister suggested that even if transfer grants should be paid to ensure that remotest areas were well served with quality teachers, it would be done to put to rest the shortage of teachers.

“We see the hard work you have done and we know Ghana’s educa­tion is on the right path. Teachers have done so well, don’t allow anybody to take credit for it. We are on different trajectory and great things are happening. Teachers, we are grateful to you, Dr Adutwum added.”

In his message, the President of Ghana Association of Teach­ers (GNAT), Rev. Isaac Owusu also pointed out that, for Ghana to have efficient teachers and well-motivated, the Ghana Edu­cation Service GES) should pay the 20 per cent gross salary for teachers who accepted posting to undeserved areas.

 FROM CLEMENT ADZE BOYE, TAKORADI

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