A 47-year-old Kindergarten teacher at the Madina SDA Basic School in the Greater Accra region, Miss Fuseina Fuseini was on Saturday adjudged the overall best teacher at the Ghana Teacher Prize 2024.
Her award follows her consistency, dedication to teaching, hard work and innovation towards teaching and learning.
For emerging as the winner, she was presented with a prototype three-bedroom house of which the physical one will be handed over to her later as well as a scholarship to study abroad if she so desired with funding from the Ghana Education Trust Fund.
The 1st Runner-Up position was taken by Mr Richmond Kojo Adomako, from the Uaddara Basic School in Kumasi and for his prize took home a 4×4 Pick-Up and a scholarship to study in any University in the country.
Miss Diana-Rose Elorm Adonu from the Aburi Girl’s Senior High School was adjudged the 2nd Runner-Up for the GTP 2024 and was presented with a saloon car and a scholarship to study at any university in the country.
Another award winner was; the Best Non-Teaching Staff which was won by Mr Wisdom Yaw Opoku, a Deputy Chief Accountant at Nsawkaw State SHS in the Tain District.
The Best Teacher in Leadership and Administration award was picked by Reverend Sister Victoria Jessy, Headteacher for Akwatia St. Dominic Basic School in the Eastern region, and the Most Outstanding College of Education Tutor was Dr William Kwabena Nantwi from the Offinso College of Education.
The rest are the Best Differentiated Learning Practice Teacher which was won by Miss Faustina Asaabo from the Menhean Community Primary in Tema while the Best Kg Teacher award went to Miss Annette Asieduwaa Owusu from the Kpone Presby Basic ‘B’ School.
Miss Antoinette Kumi from Tanoso M/A Primary in the Sefwi-Wiaso was adjudged the Best Primary School Teacher. The Best Junior High School Teacher award also went to George Ebanyenle Ackah from Enchico Demonstration JHS in the Aowin District while the Best SHS Best Teacher honours went to Madam Perpetual Bosomprah from Tarkwa SHST in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem.
The other award winners were presented with cash prizes which ranged from Gh10,000 to Gh100,000 while others also took home motorbikes.
All the award winners apart from their awards were also offered scholarships to study at any University in the country whereas the Overall Best Teacher alone was offered a scholarship abroad if she so desired.
In an address read for him, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment towards the transformation of the nation through education.
He explained that the huge budget support towards the educational sector was due to the fact that education served as the source of the requisite manpower for the transformation of the nation.
The President praised all Ghanaian teachers for their dedication towards the training of the nation’s human resources which was very critical for the development of the nation.
Nana Akufo-Addo eulogized all stakeholders in the nation’s education space and urged them to continue working hard towards the sustenance of the gains made in the sector in the country.
The Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, on his part assured teachers of his readiness to continue putting in place prudent policies that would create an enabling environment for effective teaching and learning.
He said, “We mean business when it comes to education development in the country because we believe education held the key to economic transformation and poverty reduction”
Dr Adutwum who is also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe mentioned that all the policies being rolled out by the Education Ministry were geared towards leapfrogging towards the attainment of 21st education for Ghanaian students.
He mentioned for instance that the introduction of the double-track system was to help increase enrolment adding that next academic year 70 per cent of SHS in the country will be out of the double-track system due to the strategic building of school infrastructure across the country.
The Registrar of the National Teaching Council, Dr Christian Addai-Poku, in his welcome address, stated that the policies and practices it had put in place were among the best in the world and were helping to advance the teaching profession in the country.
“Let no one whittle down the standards and permit cheap entry requirements into the profession. Our requirements should remain as rigorous as those of doctors, nurses, lawyers, accountants, engineers and others”. He said.
“The Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination remains one of the best quality assurance measures to ensure that only those who fit for purpose get engaged in our schools. It will be sad to see the licensure examination sacrificed on the altar of politics”. Dr Addai-Poku said.