The Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Directorate of the Ghana Education Service in the Eastern Region has launched the 2024 Teacher Prize award at Odumase Krobo aimed at encouraging teachers to work harder.

In an interview with Ghana News Agency, Mr Samuel Kwesi Tettey, Municipal Director of the Ghana Education Service in Lower Manya Krobo, highlighted the importance of recognizing and appreciating the achievements of teachers.

He noted that it had been 14 years since the last such programme was organised in the municipality and urged the need to support the initiative.

'The last time a program of this nature was held in the area was in 2010,' he said.

He emphasised that the programme was to encourage hardworking and committed teaching and non-teaching staff from the Kindergarten (KG) to the Senior High School level.

'Teachers should be acknowledged and respected for their work, their commitment, and their dedication with kind words (oral or written) from their students, their student's parents or guardians, their administrators, and the general public,' he said.

He said that the education of the child who would grow to become useful to himself or herself first, his family, and the entire nation was worth doing and that teachers who go the extra mile to make this happen should be motivated.

'A motivated staff is the backbone of any organisation,' he noted.

Mr Tettey credited his achievements to the motivation he received from winning awards in the past.

Notably, he was awarded the Best Technical/Vocational Teacher in the New Juaben Municipality in Koforidua in 2002, and subsequently recognized as the Eastern Regional Best Teacher in the Technical/Vocational category in 2009.

'For me to have come this far, those awards played a major role; therefore, let us do something to make sure we appreciate our teachers and lift their spirits to work harder towards a common goal,' he said.

Professor Eric Nyarko-Sampson, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development, stated that appreciating teachers was very important and should not be undermined.

He said teachers must nurture the upcoming young generation, inspire them, and teach them how to respect.

'The core of teaching consists of four basic values: dignity, respect for humanity, truthfulness, and fairness,' he said.

He stated that it was important for the community and society to also recognise the effort of the teachers in turning their societies and communities around.

He urged teachers to give their all to support the students to achieve their best.

Source: Ghana News Agency