Information on issues concerning teachers are delicate matters and should be looked at. The ministry of education, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the National Teachers Council held the Ghana teacher prize as part of the 2021 world teacher’s day which comes on every year on the 5th of October 2021.

The event was held in Sunyani under the theme: “teachers wanted: reclaiming teaching and learning for human-centered recovery”. The theme recognises teachers for their tireless efforts to keep teaching even during hardships like covid-19 pandemic causing disruptions in academic activities, hereby posing a risk to the holistic formation of children especially those in Ghana and Africa at large. A 44 year old visual art teacher Mr Ebenezer Kojo Otoo, of the Winneba senior high school (shs) in the Efutu municipality of the central region, was prized with GHS 250,000 on the day , sponsored by GLICO .

The National Teaching Council, organisers of the awards, presented a brand new saloon car to Mr Nelson Saviour Kwashie of the Awutu Swinton shs in the Awutu Senya district of the central region for the second runner-up position.

Our sense of urgency to the teachers relevantly seems to be on the downside as compared to the climbing importance to education in the country. It’s with the accession and allegedly acclaimed as so that the head of state and his entourage could have given due diligence and presence  on this grand occasion and per se is a bit disappointing as discussed on the morning show Ghana Nie on Atinka TV with host EKOURBA GYASI SIMPREMU.

It was noted that teachers themselves need to be respected and acknowledged to a very high degree as they have been and are instrumental to nation building.

On the panel discussion Ekourba hinted an alleged reminder that some time ago the coalition of aggrieved teachers has disputed claims by vice president dr. Mahamudu Bawumia that teachers have been paid their legacy arrears as of the time.

“President of the coalition of aggrieved teachers in 2020, Effah Kweku Tabiri appealed to the government to fulfil its promise by clearing the arrears.”

“It is true that in 2012, some of them received their arrears but from 2013 to now, we have not received a penny from the government but we heard the vice president saying that they had cleared all legacy debts. It is untrue that we have been given our arrears,” he said.

“Ghanaians are being hypocritical in celebrating teachers when their due mandate and importance is not been given and gradually ignored mostly in recent times” Ekourba added. His displeasure and reaction is on the alleged appreciation given  to teachers across board on the day which to him was far from the truth. He felt that at least more should have been done.

The day is set aside to celebrate the selflessness, dedication and powerful impartation of knowledge from teachers to pupils and students. Some of students/pupils malpractices could so much be traced back to the issue of teachers and the positive impacts they should have delivered but inhibited to do so.



If a timid or confident teacher is teaching students ,the students become timid as well and vice versa

Teachers have to be respected and given the assurance of confidence to perform their duties projecting so far to the level of having the relevant backing and materials to perform such duties. We now live in a country with free shs but children are allegedly been claimed not ready to see the teachers as models and people to shape them due to some vices both individually and state caused.



A sudden rise in these challenges is putting the GES on hand to try and find a means to solve this with  the free shs in operation .The council of heads of assisted secondary schools (chass) been charged to work hard address it. The deputy director-general in charge of quality and access at Ghana education service (GES), Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh further revealed in a statement that, “there have been challenges in terms of the approval of funds for running the schools. But as i speak to you now, conference of heads of assisted secondary schools (CHASS) has received all monies for form 2s and 3s.” Despite criticism and calls for the double track aspect of the policy to be scrapped, the deputy director of the GES urged Ghanaians to embrace the programme as thousands of young people are benefiting from it.

Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu in his last statement made emphatically clear that raised these questions , what then happens when those to spark the plug to these initiatives ,what happens when they  are not even there to begin with or are more undermined than ever, who teaches and help pave the way for  the next leaders of our great nation?

 

 

 

 

BY JONATHAN ARDAYFIO

#teamaob