Bryan Acheampong (in smock) exchanging greetings with the teachers
BRYAN Acheampong, Member of Parliament (MP) for Abetifi in the Eastern Region, has rewarded a total of 1,636 teachers in the Kwahu-East District.
The teachers were given free-shopping vouchers worth GH¢300 and full pieces of cloth from Ghanaian Textile Prints (GTP).
The first-ever awards event held at Kwahu-Pepease was aimed at honouring outstanding teachers for their exemplary leadership qualities and performance that have positively affected and transformed the lives of the students in their care and the communities within and around the district.
Other teachers who have taught for 10 years and above in the district also received scholarships to further their education at Presby University, Kwahu Campus.
In addition, 27 award-winners received GH¢2,000 and prizes. They were tasked to sign a social contract to deliver excellent academic performance with effect from 2019.
The main objective of the programme was to motivate teachers to exhibit higher performance and restore the respect of the teaching profession.
Bryan Acheampong, who doubles as the Minister of State in charge of National Security, spoke on the theme: “The right to quality education: the teacher as an agent”.
He pointed out that he was committed to recognising the contributions of hard-working and selfless teachers towards the improvement of education in the district.
According to him, whatever he is doing now is not for the benefit of anyone but for the future generation, saying “it is advisable to lay a good foundation for the future leaders”.
He asserted that one strong pillar that could help Kwahu achieve its agenda is education, and that agenda cannot be achieved without the teachers.
Continuing, he said: “In the last five to six years, the results that came out of our BECE had been terrible but this year’s result was very good. I spent my last two years dealing with the security of Kwahu, which was mostly on the Fulani menace and today we all know the outcome; hence I’m going to focus on education in 2019″.
The Abetifi MP stated that his outfit would collaborate with the district assembly to support educational development in the area. He therefore urged the teachers, parents and all stakeholders to do all they could to help achieve quality education.
Aside from the awards, a well-organised dinner attended by the chiefs and other prominent businessmen was held to further honour the teachers.
Nana Bonsu Ayirepe Ababio, Chief of Kwahu–Pepease, who chaired the ceremony, remarked that achieving quality education depended on all stakeholders such as parents, teachers and government.
He added that the role of teachers in the socio-economic development of the country is highly significant. He further appealed to them to give off their best, while government also provides infrastructure, teaching aids and learning materials for children’s education.
On her part, the Kwahu-East District Director of Education, Madam Ivy Asantewah Owusu, urged the teachers to make judicious use of teaching and learning materials at their disposal to impart knowledge to schoolchildren during contact hours.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Pepease