Bolgatanga, Feb. 1, GNA- The Ghana Education Service (GES), in the Upper East Region, on Friday, rewarded its best performing teachers with a call on all stakeholders to support and encourage teachers to give excellent services towards the development of the nation. "The Teacher is not just an agent of change but also a catalyst and a shaper of the conscience of the nation, and should be supported to enable them to deliver positively for the development of the country". Ms Veronica L. Seidu, Acting Regional Director of the GES said this during a ceremony organised for the award winners at Bolgatanga. She said it was their individual contributions and efforts towards the Educational Policy objectives and the Educational reforms that had earned them the recognition and the awards they had received. She congratulated and urged them to keep doing their best and be role models for their pupils and fellow teachers.

The award ceremony was on the theme, 'The New Educational Reforms, The teacher as an Agent of change' and covered the years 2005 and 2006. The fifty award winners were chosen under the categories of general teaching performance, science and mathematics, technical and vocational studies for Primary Schools, Junior and Senior High Schools, Teacher Training Colleges and non teaching staff.

Mr Samuel N'Laare, Chief Director of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, asked teachers to continue working hard and render selfless and dedicated services to the country. He said the awards were supposed to motivate the teachers to give off their best and should not discourage those who had not received prizes from doing working harder.

Mr Robert Ajene, a retired Educationist, who presided over the ceremony, appealed to Municipal and District Assemblies in the region to support Teacher Trainees to enable them to serve in their various districts.

He challenged the assemblies to take interest in the teachers who serve in their districts and motivate them in their own way so that they would stay in the schools and do their best for the pupils. He asked the young teachers not to be discouraged about their poor salaries but rather aim at giving off their best for the sake of the children. Speaking on behalf of the award winners, Mr. Solomon Adongo, a teacher from Gowrie Senior Technical School, suggested that Heads of schools and Supervisors be included in the award programme to also motivate them to perform well. He regretted that the awards ceremony was delayed, saying, such long delays could defeat the purpose of the scheme. Each award winning category had a double door refrigerator for the first prize, the second, a 21-inch colour television and the third, a four burner gas cooker.