Dunkwa-On-Offin (C/R), May 27, GNA - Mrs Justina Essinam Tojagbo, Central Regional Director of Education, has called for a greater respect and recognition for teachers in the country to enable them continue to render selfless service to the nation.

She said the nation needed to sit up and take a critical look at the teacher's role in society and motivate them accordingly. Mrs Tojagbo made the call at the maiden Upper Denkyira best teacher awards celebration at Dunkwa-On-Offin on Wednesday. She said, "if it is necessary to motivate doctors and nurses to stay in the country, it is equally important to motivate teachers, especially those in the rural areas".

Mrs Tojagbo said teachers continued to play a significant role in the socio-economic development of the nation and it behoved on all Ghanaians to assist and encourage them to perform better. She said communities also had a responsibility to ensure that teachers were motivated.

This, they could do by releasing land to them for farming, selling foodstuffs at reduced prices as well as instituting community awards schemes to honour hard working teachers in their localities. Mrs Tojagbo further appealed to businesses and organisation in the districts to institute awards schemes to honour hard working and deserving teachers.

Mr Richard Anane Adabo, the district chief executive, said girl-child enrolment in basic schools in the district increased from 584 in 2001 to 1,100 in 2004 as a result of an intensive education on "send your girl-child to school" programme launched in the district a few years ago.

He said performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) recorded a significant improvement from 62.5 per cent in 2002 to 64.5 per cent in 2003, placing the district in the second position in the region and 21st in the whole country.

Mr Adabo said the assembly had also constructed and rehabilitated a number of classroom blocks, provided teaching and learning materials to schools and sponsored 133 teacher-trainees of which 31 of them are in the classroom teaching.

He appealed to teachers to desist from acts that could bring their profession into disrepute.

Mrs Patience Anima Dartey, Upper Denkyira District Director of Education, pointed out that, an unmotivated teacher was a liability to educational system and called for greater recognition for teachers. She commended teachers in the district for their hard work and dedication which had ensured a remarkable improvement in education in the district.

Mrs Dartey also thanked the district assembly for its support to the development of education and also sponsoring the Teachers' Awards scheme.

In all, 15 teachers and non-teaching staff were awarded. They received items such as television sets, gas cylinders, gas stoves and sewing machines.

Mr Emmanuel Aidoo of Ayamfuri Methodist Primary School was awarded the overall best teacher at the primary level, while Mr Richard Sibiri Quatson of Dunkwa Boaponsem JSS won the best teacher award in the JSS level.

The best senior secondary school (SSS) teacher award went to Mr Isaac Ben of Boaponsem Secondary School at Dunkwa, while Mr Gabriel Addai won the best science teacher award at the basic level. Mr Seidu Adam of Dunkwa Secondary/Technical School won the best science teacher award at the SSS level.

All the best teacher award winners received a certificate and a 20-inch colour television set each. 27 May 2004