Fanteakwa North honours dedicated teachers

The Fanteakwa North District in the Eastern Region has celebrated hardworking and dedicated teachers in the area at a colourful ceremony at Begoro. 

The teacher prize for the Fanteakwa North District for 2024 was in 15 categories.

They were the best female teachers serving in deprived areas, the teacher commitment award, the best performing private school, the Excellence in Progress award, the Innovative Integrated award, the best performing primary school, the best performing junior high school and the best kindergarten teacher. 

The rest were the best primary school teacher, best junior school teacher, best headteacher, best non-teaching staff, best teacher in administration and the overall best teacher award.

Three teachers were awarded in each category, making 27 individual teachers in all who were honoured, with the overall best teacher prize for the district going to Cecilia Serwaa Anyan of the Begoro Mills Duodu Demonstration Junior High School. She took home a certificate, a 400-litre deep freezer and GH¢500 cash.

Each of the other 26 winners received a certificate, GH¢500 cash and either of the following items: a 32-inch TV set, air fryer/multi-purpose cooker, home theatre set, tabletop burner and a gas cylinder.

Five schools also received printers, while a set of jerseys went to another school.

The guest speaker for the function, Prof. Smart Sarpong, Director of Research and Innovations of Kumasi Technical University (KTU), donated a cash prize of GH¢500 to each of the 27 individual teacher prize winners.  

A special prize, which also attracted a standing ovation from all the dignitaries present, went to the Public Relations Officer of the Fanteakwa North District Office of the GES, Bright Boadu Kagya.   

Abuse

Speaking on the theme: “Teachers, the Heroes of Change in our Communities”, Prof. Sarpong noted with concern that as much as society recognised the role of teachers who deserved applause as heroes, teachers needed to point out to themselves what constituted heroism.

He said “If a teacher takes advantage of the pupil/student, especially the female ones under your tutelage, and you abuse them sexually, then you cannot count yourself as a hero. Instead, you are a disgrace to the teaching profession and society will recognise you as such.”

The guest speaker said teaching as a profession had some ethics and ethical requirements which they needed to follow and, therefore, should do away with the excesses that were committed by teachers on innocent pupils/students entrusted into their hands to train.

“To be a hero as a teacher, you may have to, in addition to delivering the curriculum given to you, be concerned about transferring values such as honesty, compassion, tolerance, courage, truthfulness and loyalty. All these values existed before formal education came,” he added.

Prof. Sarpong said before books were introduced into our educational system, our fathers and forefathers who were teaching prioritised 70 per cent of the transfer of knowledge on those values.

He said unfortunately, as knowledge evolved, the modern education curriculum did not pay much attention to those values, saying, “We are heading to a level where we have people with big credentials such as PHD, doctorate, master’s degree, but limited when it comes to values.”

The Fanteakwa North District Director of Education, Gloria Aggrey-Kilson, said education is the cornerstone of a thriving society and that the role of teachers could not be overstated in nurturing the minds and shaping the future of the pupils/students.

The District Chief Executive, Charles Oware Tweneboah, said as they celebrated the teachers, society must acknowledge their challenges and help solve them to create a conducive environment for learning, ending with Nelson Mandela’s quote, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  

Pull quote

“If a teacher takes advantage of the pupil/student, especially the female ones under your tutelage, and you abuse them sexually, then you cannot count yourself as a hero.”

Captions

1: Prof. Smart Sarpong (2nd from right), the Guest speaker, in a handshake with Cecilia Serwaa Anyan, the overall winner of the 2024 Best Teacher Award.

2: Gloria Aggrey-Kilson (right), the District Director of Education, in a handshake with Cecilia Serwaa Anyan (middle), the Overall Best Teacher for 2024.

3: Cecilia Serwaa Anyan (3rd from right), the Fanteakwa North 2024 Best Teacher, with her certificate