The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Akufo-Addo has been presented with the highest award by the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) for promoting education in Africa.
The President was presented with a citation for improving access, quality and efficiency of education systems on the African continent.
The presentation took place in Accra at the ninth AFTRA and Learning Conference and 11th Roundtable on the theme: ” Unpacking Teaching and Learning in Africa for Excellence,” hosted by the National Teaching Council (NTC).
Mrs Frema Osei Opare, the Chief of Staff who received the award on behalf of the President thanked AFTRA and expressed gratitude and honour for the recognition.
President Akufo-Addo stated that Ghana considered education as a critical pillar to human development, protection of human rights and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
He said the Government had put in place interventions to ensure that there were adequate qualified teachers to improve learning outcomes.
The President said the Government through the NTC had developed the national teacher education curriculum, ensured that teachers got a minimum of degree qualification to teach at the basic levels, instituted the Ghana Teacher Licensing Exams to improve their professionalism.
“My Government has invested heavily in education in terms of teacher development, infrastructure, access and participation, hoping to consolidate the gains for the benefit of all,” he said.
The President said the introduction of the free Senior High School policy had increased enrolment by 69 per cent, stressing that the Government was poised to work assiduously to meet the Sustainable Development Goal four.
He announced that Ghana recorded the best performance in the 2021/2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, outclassing its sister countries due to incentives given to teachers for the preparation of the students.
President Akufo-Addo said the Government had extended the free education policy to the Technical and Vocational Education and Training,(TVET) with the aim of equipping the students with employable skills and making them productive in life.
The President said the continent had developed frameworks for the teaching arena, including the Africa Continental Guidelines for the profession.
He announced that this year’s World Teacher Day would be celebrated on October 5, in Tamale, and expressed the Government’s commitment to continue to support NTC to regulate the teaching profession in the country.
Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, said the Government was working assiduously to move from textbooks and focus more on practical modes that would enable students to be creative and innovative.
That, he explained, was critical because the fourth industrial revolution focused on skills development, stressing that TVET was the missing link in the resolution of the country’s socio-economic challenges.
The Government, he said, had prioritised Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programmes to transform the country’s socio-economic development.
For the nation to stay competitive, he said, there was the need to build a scientifically literate citizenry and a pool of highly STEM literate employees.
Professor Josiah Asiboye, the President of ASTRA, said the Federation had grown since its inception and contributed immensely in regulating the teaching profession in Africa.
The conference, he stated, would among others, examine all issues relating to teaching and learning in the post COVID-19 pandemic era and come out with strategies to mitigate challenges.
Dr Christian Addai-Poku, Registrar, NTC, Ghana said the Conference would share and learn experiences from countries to improve on teaching and learning.
