The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), together with the Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF), has built the capacity of 99 teachers in the Central Region.
The beneficiary teachers made up of 33 males and 66 females had a week long in-service training to re-equip them to deliver more efficiently in the classroom to improve pupil retention.
The joint project dubbed “Nkabom project,” largely benefits teachers serving in deprived and under-served areas and offered special training to improve their teaching skills and creativity.
Designed to update their knowledge and skills to be relevant to the child, the teachers were taken through subject areas such as class management, gender and culture, technology education, and inclusiveness.
The CTF facilitators incorporated their method of teaching into the National Teachers’ Standards which include; teachers’ professional values, attitudes, knowledge, and practices.
Equally, they were guided by the new curriculum which stresses on 21st Century Skills and competencies to be developed for the Ghanaian child.
That includes; global citizen, independence, team leader, creativity, innovation, critical thinking, good communication, problem solver, and digital literacy.
Delivering the keynote address at the closing ceremony, Mr. Kwame Dagbandow, the Deputy General Secretary of GNAT said the CTF had championed many training workshops with GNAT to bring the needed change and quality in the Ghanaian educational sector.
He said the partnership with Canada spanned some 63 years with effective engagement and knowledge exchange to improve education delivery outcomes in the country.
He said GNAT, as a professional Teacher Union, believed in continuous education and professional development of its members as the industry required constant updating of one’s knowledge to become relevant.
“GNAT believes that the future of the next generation is in the hands of the present crop of teachers. This means that the future of Ghana is in the hands of teachers who play pivotal roles in the development of the nation.
“As a vibrant, resilient, proactive, and result-oriented teacher union in Ghana, we cannot afford to fail the Ghanaian society which has entrusted the future of the country into our hands. We are therefore bent on ensuring quality education for the Ghanaian child,” Mr. Dagbandow assured.
He said in this regard encouraged all teachers to make good use of the knowledge acquired and transfer it to other teachers to ensure that quality education was given a boost in their schools.
“We would want to encourage other stakeholders, especially the government through the Ministry of Education, to provide the districts with resources to emulate our example by helping to train more Teachers,” he added.
Ms Lynda Grellner, the Team Lead for CTF said the overseas projects had become a critical tool to exchange ideas and increase the gain in global education targets.
She, therefore, entreated the participants to use the new skills acquired to innovate change in the classroom.
“ Leadership roles must well be seen from now,” she stressed.
Ms Caroline Mensah, a Course Leader, praised GNAT and CTF for such projects and programs which equipped them to live up to expectations
