YILO KROBO HOLDS BEST TEACHER AWARDS DAY

The Yilo Krobo District in the Eastern Region of Ghana today the 13th of November 2009 has held its 2008/2009 best teacher awards ceremony at Somanya, the District Capital to motivate hard working teachers.

In all eight winners were selected from both teaching and non teaching staff from various Junior and Senior High Schools in the district.

Delivering his keynote address, the guest speaker who is also the immediate past Director of Education in the District, Mr. David C.O. Sotti, stated that even though teaching is an interesting and noble profession, the challenges and difficulties associated with it are enormous. These challenges and difficulties according to him make the teaching profession unattractive to the youth.

Mr. Sotti further explained that for any professional to give out his best, he needs the basic necessity in life which is accommodation. Teachers nationwide lack this basic necessity which makes it difficult for them to deliver. He therefore pleaded with landlords who are hostile and intentionally increase rent to teachers in their communities to desist from it.

Mr. Sotti advised newly trained teachers not to see the profession as a stepping stone but rather remain committed to their duties.

He also touched on poor remuneration and retirement packages for teachers and appealed to government to give teachers their fair share of the national cake to enable them deliver their best.

The Yilo Krobo District Chief Executive (DCE) Hon. Andrews Soda in his speech disclosed that schools with poor infrastructural facilities will be given a facelift in the first quarter of 2010.

The DCE assured teachers in the District that the Assembly is doing its best to solve their accommodation problems. He however challenged them to reciprocate the assembly’s effort by bringing out their best to improve upon the level of education in the district.

The District Director of Education Mr. Raphael Frimpong Agyei commended the DCE for his initiative of organizing this year’s District awards ahead of the regional awards.

Mr. Raphael Frimpong Agyei however said the District Assembly alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of organizing the award scheme and appealed to corporate institutions to sponsor the scheme.

The award winners took home prizes ranging from table top refrigerators, color TV’s and mattresses.

                                                                                                                   By Doris N. Sodjah (ISD)