Sekondi, Aug 8, GNA - Mr Anthony Evans Amoah, the Western Regional Minister, on Tuesday advised teachers to give out their best as their contribution towards the development of the country. He said this when opening the 10th annual delegates' congress and 10th anniversary celebration of the Western Central Sector of the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG) at Sekondi.

The five-day congress is under the theme "Ghana's New Educational Policy-Challenges To the Teacher Trainee".

Mr Amoah said teachers should not discard the teaching profession simply because of low remuneration.

He said teaching was a noble profession and was making tremendous contribution to the country's development although to some people it is an unattractive profession in terms of remuneration.

Mr Amoah said the nature of the work of teachers meant they would have to be disciplined and moral in all aspects of their lives to enable them to discipline children.

Mr Amoah spoke about the falling education standards in some basic schools and said it was to reverse the trend that the government was paying attention to kindergarten education to provide strong foundation for children.

In an address read for her Mrs Rebecca Efiba Dadzie, the Western Regional Director of Education, said professional development of teachers was a necessary condition for achieving improvement in schools and the goals of the educational system.

She said all stakeholders should, therefore, support teacher education policy.

Nana Kobina Nketsia V, the Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area, said the country's education had not been able to free the people from colonialism.

"It seems the educational system has rather tied the people to the vestiges of colonialism."

Nana Nketsiah said it was for this reason that many people the country had invested its resources in hold the nation to ransom by embarking on industrial action and abuse it. He said it also accounted for the numerous cocaine cases and other immoral acts.

Mrs Cecilia Harry Quaye, Principal of Holy Child College, said teacher-training colleges have not been upgraded to diploma awarding institutions.

She said it is only the courses offered by the colleges that have been upgraded.