Inductees and some dignitaries present
Some 200 Ghanaian youth are in the coming days expected to begin teaching in 50 Senior High School (SHS) across the country under the LEAD for Ghana (LFG) fellowship programme.
The selected youth who consist of fresh graduate and young professionals are to serve in rural communities for two years with the objective of ensuring that every Ghanaian child has access to quality education by 2050.
The Fellows, upon completion would be inducted into the LFG alumni network, a pantheon of outstanding leaders working in both private and public sectors, to drive change in the educational system.
In a speech read on his behalf at an opening ceremony and inauguration of the Training Institute for LFG newest cohort of Fellows, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum said the initiative was commendable.
He said the initiative has not only helped to address the teacher shortages in rural and underserved communities, but has also introduced a paradigm of passion, dedication, and excellence in education.
“LEAD for Ghana has been at the forefront of a significant transformation in our educational landscape,” he said.
The ceremony under the theme, “Creative Teaching, Innovative and Collaborative Learning” also served as an opportunity for incoming Fellows to interact with LFG’s partners and key stakeholders.
He expressed confidence in the capability of the fellows to have impact in their respective schools and communities.
“As we embark on this ambitious project of posting Fellows to the SHS, we aim to elevate our standards of education and provide our students with a competitive edge on the global stage,” he noted.
The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Adviser to the Minister for Education, Professor Mark Adom Asamoah, revealed that the Ghana Education Services, and the Ministry of Education, are supporting LFG, through some of their collaborators to train graduate students and take them through various types of teaching and learning.
The CEO of LEAD for Ghana, Daniel Dotse, indicated that about 400 applications were received for the fellowship program, out of which 200 were selected.
The criteria for selection, he said included youth academic excellence, youth with demonstrable leadership traits, and participants from underserved or rural communities.
By Nafisa Abdul Razak