Best teachers awards launched

27-08-08
Spead

A TOTAL of 82 teachers nationwide will be given awards at this year’s National Best Teacher Awards ceremony slated for October 7, 2008 at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.
A Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, who announced this at the launch of the 2008 best teacher award scheme, said the number of teachers who would be rewarded this year had been increased by 20.
She said the overall best teacher would receive a house valued at $55,000 while the first runner-up would take home a 1.8 cc saloon car worth $22,000 plus a computer with full accessories with the second runner-up receiving a 1600 cc saloon car worth $18,000 plus a computer and accessories.
The other award winners, she said, would receive computers, double deck fridges, television sets among other items.
She said apart from the selection of the best teacher and two runners-up, award winners were selected from the basic education, senior high, teacher training, vocational and technical institutions with others being French teachers and ICT teachers and the rest being non-teaching staff.
Mrs Baiden-Ammisah said the awards scheme was to give teachers recognition and rewards for good work done, adding that “the objective of the scheme is to provide a target for teachers to aspire to, encourage excellence in professional performance among teachers, provide incentives for teachers to give of their best in their chosen profession”.
Under the criteria for selection, she said, circuit supervisors shortlisted the names of outstanding teachers in their circuits during normal inspection of schools, and the names of those shortlisted were sent to the district directors of education.
“Head teachers are also encouraged to submit names of their teachers who have excelled in performance to their district directors. The criteria for selection of award winners include professional competence, personality factors, contribution to the community, length of service, innovativeness and creativity in the teaching profession among others,” she said.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah indicated that the teacher was the pivot of development and must be recognised and honoured, saying that motivation in the form of incentives was a factor that closely affected the performance, work and the overall efficiency of any organisation.
The chairpersons of the ceremony, Mr Daniel Wilson and Ms Georgina Addo, who represented United Bank for Africa (UBA) and MTN respectively, pledged to support the awards scheme.
This year’s awards ceremony, which is the 14th, is on the theme: “Teachers Matter”.