The Ashanti Regional Islamic Education Unit has rewarded 21 teaching and non-teaching staff for hard work and dedication.

They received prize awards including DVD players, gas cylinders and stoves, travelling bags and e-books.

Mr Bashiru Shei of Al-huda Islamic Basic School, Moshie Zongo, Kumasi, was adjudged the overall best teacher of the unit and took home an e-book, a DVD player and a certificate.

The Regional Education Director, Mr Joseph K. Onyinah, urged teachers to show love for the job they were doing and maintain discipline, punctuality and avoid the misuse of the contact hours to help enhance academic performance of the children.

He commended the Unit for its tireless effort at promoting secular education among Muslim children saying it needed to be sustained and appealed to parents to give priority attention to the education of their children with equal opportunities for both both boys and girls.

Alhaji Amadu Abudu, Regional Manager of the Unit, said the prize award was meant to serve as an incentive to the teachers and the other staff to encourage them to do more.

He said he was confident that they would be inspired to put in more effort to raise performance and called on parents to make sure that they do not only put their children in school but to provide them with all their basic needs.**