Kumasi, Oct 7, GNA - Mr Joseph Kwabena Onyina, the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, has said pre-tertiary education and training output in the region was one of the best in the country. For the past five years, he said, an average of 69 percent of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates qualified for entry into the Senior High School (SHS) compared to the national average of 69 percent.

He said an average of three districts came among the best 10 districts in BECE national ranking every year.

"In 2008, the first and second positions were taken by Amansie Central and Obuasi respectively. Obuasi Municipal, has been the first from 2004 to 2007 whiles Kumasi Metropolis has taken the first position among all the 10 regional capitals for the past three years." Mr Onyina was commenting on the 2009 National Best Teacher Award Ceremony held in Koforidua in the Eastern Region on Tuesday where the two teachers declared overall national best and first runner-up teachers came from the Ashanti Region.

At the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) level, he said, an average of 43 percent qualifies to enter tertiary institutions as compared to the national average of 36 percent. Miss Priscilla Asafo-Adjei and Miss Tsorgah, former students of St Louis Senior High School) in Kumasi were adjudged the overall National Best and second National Best candidates respectively in May/ June, 2008 WASSCE, he said.

In terms of teacher quality, he said, the region has about 73 percent of its teachers trained compared to the national figure of 61.4 percent. He said the 2007 National Overall Best Teacher, National Best first runner-up, National Best mathematics teacher, National Best in Technical and National Best teacher in science were from the Ashanti Region.

Mr Onyina said the state of education in the region had brighter prospects and called for support from all stakeholders to develop the region's human potential. Mr Kingsley Akom of Kumasi Technical Institute and Samuel Addai of Suame Methodist JHS were on Tuesday declared the National Overall Best Teacher and the first runner-up respectively at National Best Teacher Award Ceremony.