Students honoured for their performance in 2002 BECE

Twenty students, who excelled in the 2002 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), were on Wednesday presented with the President's Independence Day Award at the Banquet Hall in Accra.

The award package included a certificate jointly signed by the President and Minister of Education, a three-year scholarship award valued up to seven million cedis for each award winner to cover boarding and lodging tenable in any Senior Secondary School (SSS) in the country.

Additionally, each award winner would receive 400,000 cedis in cash, 100,000 cedis for books and a special book prize.

Three of them would be selected to attend a summer camp "Camp Rising Sun" in the United States and Denmark.

President John Agyekum Kufuor flanked by Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education presented the awards to the recipients.

They were, Miss Jeniffer Asaman and Master Paul Wondah from the Upper West Region; Miss Linda Lariba Atibilla and Master Inusah Mutala Mohammed from the Upper East Region; Miss Sumani Rashida Nagumsi Abukari and Master Nwinbuobo Walter Bandie from the Northern Region.

The others were Miss Priscilla Asraa and Master Prosper Adjei from the Brong Ahafo Region; Miss Ann Poku Amponsah and Master William Opoku Effah from the Ashanti Region; Miss Francisca Fiona Tandoh and Master Enoch Dontoh from the Western Region; Miss Victoria Kofie and Master Emmanuel Timmy Donkoh from the Central Region.

The rest were, Miss Princess Diana Tsadidey and Master Raynold Wonder Alorse from the Volta Region; Miss Adwoa Amponsah Adusei-Peasah and Master Dei-Anane Owura from the Eastern Region and Miss Eleanor Aryee and Master Gideon Nii Aryee Aryeetey from the Greater Accra Region.

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama presented awards to the winners of the National Schools Debate for Senior Secondary Schools (SSS).

Ghana Secondary School Tamale, who beat the defending champions Mfantsipim School by 62-61 points, won this year's debate.

The winners took home a 25-inch colour television set and a video deck while the runners-up had a 21-inch colour television set and a video deck.

Need to improve on the country's educational system -Kufuor

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday said the country's best-laid plans for development would come to naught unless the education system worked well.

"The nation cannot hope to compete with the rest of the world unless our schools and colleges are able to meet the challenges of a fast changing technological world," he said.

President Kufuor was presenting the President's Independence Day Award to 20 students at the Banquet Hall in Accra. They were a boy and a girl from each region, who excelled in the 2002 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The award package included a certificate jointly signed by the President and Minister of Education, a three-year scholarship award valued up to seven million cedis for each award winner to cover boarding and lodging tenable in any Senior Secondary School (SSS) in the country.

Additionally each award winner would receive 400,000 cedis in cash, 100,000 cedis for books and a special book prize.

He told teachers that government appreciated their services and acknowledged their role.

"As teachers, you should not underestimate your role in nation building. It falls on you to nurture the future politicians, engineers, carpenters, lawyers, nurses, doctors and housewives."

President Kufuor said the nation expected teachers to take the children entrusted in their care as sacred charges and bring out the best in them because it was integral to their calling to try to discover and draw out the hidden talent in every child.

He urged teachers to embrace the computer age, upgrade their skills and employ new techniques in order that they could inspire the young people.

President Kufuor said the high dropout rate of students after the Junior Secondary School (JSS) was a matter of concern to the government.

"Too many young people are forced to drop out at this stage of their schooling because of inadequate number of places in the SSS.

"Government is, therefore, determined to expand the facilities in order that all those who qualify would have the opportunity to continue to the SSS," he said.

To the award winners, President Kufuor said they had achieved special leadership positions among their peers and in their communities. "From now onwards, whatever you do, whatever you say, wherever you are, you will be seen as a special person and much would be expected of you."

He asked them to take their awards as an honour and use the opportunity to help other less privileged people.

President Kufuo said they should be humble to be able to learn more and take advantage of the opportunities that would come their way.

Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education, said government being aware of the genuine concerns the citizenry had expressed and continued to express over the education of the youth, the Ministry had constantly examined and reviewed the educational policies.

He said these were with the view to involving all in the search for a system of education that could provide the children the best opportunities to develop and grow into responsible and productive citizens.

The Minister of Education said it was in this vein that the Ministry has instituted a number of schemes and awards at all levels to motivate both teachers and students.

Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi said three of the award winners would be selected to attend a summer camp "Camp Rising Sun" in the United States and Denmark.

The school children read an Independence message to the government in four Ghanaian languages, Akan, Dagbani, Ewe, Ga and English, which they presented to President Kufuor.

Miss Lena Acolatse, a JSS 3 pupil of the Services Basic School at Burma Camp in Accra who read the English version, appealed to chiefs and opinion leaders to end chieftaincy disputes and ethnic conflicts which brought about loss of life and property.

She said resources, which could have been used for development, were rather used to resolve conflicts and disputes.

Miss Acolatse expressed appreciation to the government for the measures put in place to curb child abuse and armed robbery in the towns and on the highways.

"It is our prayer that this effort would be intensified to curb these vices in our society."

The message said the efforts made in the establishment of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) was good and appealed to Ghanaians to co-operate with the Commission in order that peace and unity being yearned for could be achieved.

It urged the media to be circumspect in their reportage since anything besides that might disturb the peace so far achieved.