President Honours 24 Students for Academic Excellence

By Aliyah Bayali

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has presented special awards to 24 students for distinguishing themselves in the 2018 Basic Examination Certificate Education (BECE) as part of activities commemorating Ghana's 62nd Independence celebrations in Accra. They included four visually impaired students.

Each student was presented with a certificate for academic excellence, 1,000 cedis, a Samsung Tablet, learning materials from Kingdom Books and Stationary Limited and one year supply of Nestle Ghana products.

Made up of 12 boys and 12 girls between 14 and 19 years, they were drawn from various public Junior High Schools (JHS). Their selection was based on exceptional academic performances in the BECE and other curricula activities.

To ensure absolute transparency and fairness, the President explained that the best students were selected from the public schools based on the highest raw scores obtained at the 2018 BECE in their respective regions.

The President announced that a new standard base curriculum would be rolled out starting from the kindergarten to class six, which would focus on making students confident, creative thinkers, digitally literates and all rounded patriotic citizens. Mathematics, Science, Reading and Writing will be at the heart of the new curriculum, he added.

To achieve this goal, the President said government was upgrading all the existing Colleges of Education to Universities affiliated to five of public Universities, pointing out that the introduction of the four year Bachelor of Education Programme in September last year, would replace the Diploma in Basic Education and ensure that a First Degree was the minimum requirement for teaching at any level in the country.

Furthermore, he explained that the maiden teacher licensure examination was also to ensure potential teachers obtained a professional license to meet the national teaching standard of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required to deliver the quality of education in Ghana.

To this end, the President said his administration would continue to work hard to ensure that knowledge and skill become the backbone of Ghana's economy and society.

Regarding the awards, he said it would motivate students to work hard and reward those with exemplary conduct and good moral behavior.

The awardees include Asante Christabel Akwaah from Good Shepherd Junior High School (JHS), Ashanti Region; Adu Kofi George from Good Shepherd JHS, Ashanti Region; Asraa Agyampong Sandra from Sacred Heart JHS, Sunyani; Adjie Ndou Esi from Nkran/Ngresi JHS, Central Region; Arthur Nkrumah Richeal from Nana Osae Djan JHS, Eastern Region.

Others are Adjei-Twum Nana Ama from Kaneshie Kingsway Basic school, Greater Accra Region; Awutey Prince Korsi from Anfoeta Tsyebi JHS, Volta Region; Adam Huda from the Littleway JHS, Northern Region, Owusu Benedicta Afia, from St Gbabriel's JHS, Upper West Region and among others.

The visually impaired are Badu Anita and Dzirakor Elorm Theophilus, both from the Akropong School for the Blind, Akwapim,; Yeboah Owusuwaa Freda , from Ashanti school for the Death in Ashanti Region and Adjei Prosper, from the Besease District Assembly JHS in Central region.

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