Bolgatanga, Aug. 10, GNA - The Bolgatanga Municipal Education Directorate has organized its first Awards Day to honour 73 hard working teachers in deprived areas in the Municipality.

The awardees received gas cookers and certificates signed by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and Director of Education.

Mr Ayiriba Ayagle, MCE for Bolgatanga, in his address, said his outfit had earmarked education and sanitation as the key targets for development.

He said since his assumption of office, 500 dual desks had been supplied to seven schools and contracts for the construction of schools had been awarded to solve the problem of schools under trees.

He called for a closer collaboration between the Assembly and education authorities to promote education delivery in the municipality. He also urged the awardees to be disciples of quality education and cleanliness in their communities.

Mrs Agnes Atagabe, Bolgatanga Municipal Director of Education, noted with dismay the poor performance of pupils in recent years, attributing the challenges militating against quality education to poor contact hours, poor supervision, drunkenness, absenteeism and the lack of adequate motivation for teachers.

Mrs Atagabe said since 2003 the best Teacher Award had not been organized in the Region and expressed gratitude to GES for providing the items for the awards to teachers in deprived areas who had continued to make sacrifices despite the challenges.

She said the awards demonstrated the Education Directorate’s trust and recognition of teachers who were committed to their profession and who continued to help provide quality education.

She said measures were in place to ensure effective supervision by attaching committed senior officers to the schools in addition to the circuit supervisions to enhance effective teaching and learning.

She commended the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly for its commitment to education, but appealed to the MCE to relocate the Baptist Primary school (BPS) to the site of the school’s Junior High division, as the pupils were exposed to epidemics due to the poor sanitary conditions around the area.

Mr Joachim Faraa, Upper East Regional Director of Education and Chairman for the occasion, commended the award winners and urged other teachers to emulate them.