HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 6th ANNUAL GHANA NATIONAL TEACHER PRIZE
By Ernestina Addo, ASCD Ghana
The National Teacher Prize, a beacon of recognition for dedicated educators shaping the nation’s youth, took center stage at the Ghana Senior High Technical School in Takoradi, Western Region. Educators from around the nation gathered to honour the unsung heroes of our society and the torch bearers of knowledge. The National Teacher Prize coincided with commemorating this year’s World Teachers Day. This year’s National Teacher Prize theme was “The Teachers We Need For The Education We Want: The Global Imperative To Reverse The Teacher Shortage.”
“I pay homage to teachers who made me who I am today,” stated the distinguished President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who was joined by the Minister for Education and other esteemed officials at the annual occasion.
Addressing the 6th edition of the Ghana National Teacher Prize in Takoradi, President Nana Akufo-Addo highlighted the impact of the new Comprehensive National Teacher Policy. This policy has facilitated the distribution of laptops and computers, and enhanced skill sets among educators, significantly enhancing their effectiveness.
Among the awardees of the event, Faith Aku Dzakpasu, a teacher from the Greta ‘D’ Shepherd Two Basic School in the Ga Central District, Greater Accra Region, was honoured as the Most Outstanding Teacher in recognition of her exceptional contributions as an educator. Madame Dzakpasu was also awarded a three-bedroom house valued at GH¢450,000, an educational trip to Singapore, life insurance valued at Gh¢1,000,000 and a scholarship to further her education.
Additionally, college tutor Benjamin Semenyo Lifeson from Presbyterian College of Education in the Eastern Region was awarded the prestigious Best College of Education Tutor prize. As part of his award, he was presented with a brand-new 4×4 pick-up vehicle in recognition of his outstanding achievement.
The Ghana National Teacher Prize was introduced to uplift the morale of teachers, which had been at an all-time low for decades. Since 1994, the Government of Ghana has commemorated teachers annually by recognizing their invaluable contributions to quality education at the Ghana Teacher Prize. Every 5th of October, which marks World’s Teachers Day, is marked by a national durbar meticulously orchestrated to honour and celebrate educators nationwide.
In 2018, the prestigious Best Teacher Award underwent a rebranding and was renamed the Ghana Teacher Prize (GTP). This strategic rebranding initiative was imperative to harmonise the program with the esteemed standards the Global Teacher Prize upheld. The primary objective of this rebranding was to empower the laureates of the Ghana Teacher Prize to competently participate and excel on the esteemed global stage of education. The Ghana Teacher Prize was entrusted to Ghana’s esteemed National Teaching Council in 2018.
ASCD Ghana
