Sogakope (V/R), Dec. 16 GNA-Teachers in the South Tongu District are becoming disinterested in the annual District Best teachers awards programme.

As a result, teachers who came tops in the 2005 awards at the Junior and Senior Secondary School levels were unopposed. The same was the case in the non-teachers category.

Madam Seline Bright Kuto the District Director of Education declared this state of affairs at the best teacher awards day held at Sogakope on Wednesday.

"It is sad that participation in the competition for the awards kept reducing with only one competitor participating in some categories", she stated.

She said she was yet to find out why the teachers were becoming disillusioned about the programme.

Mad. Kuto said the district's performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) in the past three years stood at 39, 47 and 45 per cent respectively and appealed to teachers and communities to work harder towards improving the performance in both academic and co-curricular activities in schools. Ms Cate Akua Aglah, the District Chief Executive called on teachers in the district to reflect seriously on the peculiar poor academic performance in the district and work towards changing the situation. Ms Patience Mensah of Sogakope Primary C, Mr. Samuel Adzokatse of Comboni JSS, Mr. Prosper Amaglo of Sogakope Senior Secondary School and Ms Mercy Addo, of the district education office were adjudged the overall best performers in their various categories. They each received a tabletop refrigerator.

Mr. Vincent Minadzi of Lave Primary and Ms Rejoice Dotse of Sogakope Secondary Primary rpt Primary School, who were second and third in the primary level, took home a 14-inch colour television and a four-burner gas cooker respectively. A total of 50 brilliant but needy pupils were each given a school uniform and a bag.