2023 Ghana Teacher Prize launched

The 2023 edition of the Ghana Teacher Prize (GTP) to reward hardworking teachers in the country has been launched in Accra. This year’s event would include the College of Education Category where the Best Tutor would be honoured.

The event will be held on October 5, 2023, to coincide with World Teachers’ Day at the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) auditorium in the Western Region.

Launching the GTP, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, said the work of the teacher would be enhanced by technology “to ensure that the vast majority of the people have access to education.”

The Minister said that the educational system must be relevant to the socio-economic needs of the country and that it was the reason the Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiative was being pursued by the government.

He acknowledged the contribution of teachers to national development, adding that without a qualified, excited, and motivated teacher “quality would elude you.”

Dr. Adutwum further announced that effective next academic year, aviation and aerospace subjects would be taught in some selected senior high schools (SHSs) to serve as a “pipeline” to the study of a university course.

“In fact it is no longer going to be a club. Aviation and aerospace is going to be offered as a course in our high schools. It has been done in the US for years. If it is the first time your students are hearing about aviation and aerospace in the university, then you are late. It has to be a pipeline and that is the pipeline that we are creating,” he said.

Relevance

The Registrar at the National Teaching Council, Christian Addai-Poku, said the Best College Tutor Category was championed by the Minister to honour gallant tutors in colleges of education who trained and nurtured students to become teachers in basic schools across the country.

“The World Teachers’ Day is set aside globally to commemorate the adoption of a joint UNESCO and ILO recommendation on the status of the teacher which was adopted in the year 1966.

“Ghana has since 1995 used the occasion to recognise our hardworking teachers for their immeasurable contribution to our dear country,” he said.

For his part, the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, claimed that some union members had been moved to other agencies without the knowledge and approval of the persons involved.

For instance, he alleged that Dr. Addai-Poku, a former President of NAGRAT, had his name removed as a member of the association and sent to another union.

Awards

In the Teacher Category, the overall winner of the GTP would receive a three-bedroom apartment, with the first runner-up taking home a 4X4 Pickup vehicle, while the second runner-up would be presented with a saloon car.

Under the Teacher in Leadership and Administration Category, the winner will receive a saloon car with the first and second runners-up taking home cash prizes.

For the Non-teaching Staff Category, the winner would have a saloon car while cash prizes would be presented to both first and second-place winners.

In the College of Education Tutor Category, the winner would receive a 4×4 Pickup with cash prizes going to the first and second-place winners.

Sponsors of the event include the Ghana Education Trust Fund, GCB Bank Limited, GES Occupational Pension Scheme, GLICO Pensions, Prudential Bank, Data Banc, Petra Trust, SIC Life, IC Securities and Investcorp.