A Pre-Vocational Skills teacher at the Soowah Din Memory 2 Junior High School in the Adentan Municipality of the Greater Accra Region has won this year’s Best Teacher Award.

For her prize, Rita Oppong gets a three bedroom house built at a place of her choice, a laptop computer and Gh¢100,000 to be put into a treasury bill account.

The second best teacher award went to Samuel Kofi Boateng of the Ghana Senior Technical School in the Western Region who got a pickup for his efforts.

Suleiman Inusah who was adjudged the third best teacher was presented with a car. He is a teacher at the Sacred Hearts Senior High School in the Brong Ahafo Region.

In all, 43 teachers and 32 schools were awarded at the 22nd National Best Teacher Award, which was held on the theme ‘Valuing teachers, Improving their Status.’

The occasion was also used to mark the second edition of the best schools award.

President John Mahama who was a guest of honour at the programme which was held in the Brong Ahafo regional capital Sunyani, congratulated the award recipients, teachers and the various schools present.

He stressed government’s commitment to ensuring that technical and vocational training institutions are given a boost.

“We are prioritizing technical vocational education and  training and so currently under a special programme the development of skills for industry programme, we have selected one technical school from each region, including two polytechnics and the University of Education, Kumasi Campus for a complete and total upgrade of their facilities.

Laptops, Refrigerators and LPG cylinders were also presented to other award winners

“They are receiving accommodation for staff, technical workshop, lecture room and many other such facilities. It is our intention to strengthen the linkage between these institutions and industry so that the products that come out these technical vocational training institutions can find the place in the world of work,” he said.

He also indicated that 30 percent of the day SHS being built will be equipped for technical and vocational education and training.

“That is because technical vocation and training is a major priority of this government," he said.