President J.A. Kufuor has admonished teachers in the country to pay particular attention to their physical appearance by dressing decently at all times, since they are considered as role models in society. “The fact that you have been posted to a deprived area in the country does not mean that the teacher should be drab and so I urge you to maintain a clean outlook all the time, since you are role models to the students and pupils you teach.” President Kufuor further advised teachers to avoid absenteeism, being rapists and desist from dodging classes, especially during market days in order to sell goods at the expense of the poor children. The President gave the admonition in an address read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, at the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the St. Joseph's Training College ( JOSCO) at Bechem in the Tano South District in the Brong Ahafo Region. The theme for the celebration was: "JOSCO @ 60: Developing the Human Resource for Successful Educational Reform". Among the dignitaries who graced the occasion were the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng; the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah; the Deputy Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Mr Andrews Adjei- Yeboah; the District Chief Executive for Tano South, Mr Osei Sekyere Bota, directors of education, heads of educational institutions, the clergy, as well as the Omanhene of the Bechem Traditional Area, Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II, who chaired the function. President Kufuor noted that some teachers failed to improve upon themselves academically and were always stuck at one place. He, therefore, impressed upon such teachers to take advantage of the Distance Learning Programme to upgrade themselves, since it formed part of the government's human resource development schemes. According to the President, certain teachers tended to forget themselves and go to the extent of entering into polygamous marriages, which, he said, affected their finances in the end. He again advised teachers to avoid misappropriation of funds of any particular school they would be posted to and reminded them of the recent sitting of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament which exposed certain heads of some educational institutions for not providing proper accounts. President Kufuor also urged them to accept postings to any deprived area in the country and also prepare adequately for classes by preparing their lesson notes so that they would not be found wanting in their delivery of topics. He stated that the introduction of the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme was a challenge to teacher trainees to accept postings to rural areas so as to bring education to their less fortunate brothers and sisters. The government, he said, was optimistic that the new educational reform would succeed so “we count on the commitment of teachers, transparent partnership with religious bodies and the co-operation of parents and all stakeholders of education for the successful implementation of the reform.” In his report, the Principal of JOSCO, Mr Charles David Bannerman-Mensah, stated that 6,000 different categories of teachers had been trained for basic schools in the country. He said out of 303 students who passed out of the maiden Diploma in Basic Education last year, only eight of them were referred internally in teaching practice and project work, but added that all of them passed the external examination conducted by the University of Cape Coast. Prizes were awarded to deserving trainee teachers and staff of the college. Source: Daily Graphic