Twenty-eight best teachers honoured at Offinso

Offinso (Ash), Aug 16, GNA - Mr Bertimus Bagbin, Offinso Municipal Director of Education, has described as worrisome the refusal of some teachers posted to the municipality to stay in Offinso and rather prefer to commute daily to school from Kumasi. The practice, he said, was undermining the efforts of the directorate to promote effective and efficient teaching and learning in schools. Mr Bagbin expressed the concern at the Best Teachers' Awards ceremony held at Offinso on Friday. Sponsored by the Offinso Municipal Assembly, the 28 best teachers selected from the basic, Senior High Schools (SHS) and Offinso Training College (OTC) received various awards including table top refrigerators, television sets, gas cookers and cylinders, ghetto blusters and bicycles. Mr Atta Kwasi Agyemang Pikinson of Bonsua primary school, Mr Oduro Boateng of Maase JHS, Mr Yacubu Mohammed Abudu of Namong SHS and Mr Samuel Owusu of OTC who placed first in their various categories received table top refrigerator each. Mr Sylvester Asubonteng of OTC Primary and Mr Francis Fosu of Offinso State 'A' JHS who placed second also received a television set each while Mr Kwasi Manu of OTC JHS also received a similar award in the science division.

Mr Bagbin said he was not happy that most parents in the municipality were not much concerned with their wards' education and noted that the tendency was thwarting the efforts of the directorate. He condemned the persistent lateness and absenteeism of some teachers, especially those in Offinso and that "those who are regular in school do not prepare lesson notes and other teaching and learning materials".

Mr Bagbin said out of the 1,634 teachers in the municipality, 692 are untrained and noted however that education standard was gradually improving. The director announced that in the 2006 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the municipality had 60.4 per cent and progressed marginally in 2007 with 62.9 per cent placing 10th among the 21 districts in the region.