Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, the Deputy Minister of Education, on Wednesday launched this year's Ghana Teacher Prize (GTP) with a call on stakeholders to deepen the relationship and prioritize the welfare of teachers.

Rev Fordjour stated that the Teacher Prize scheme underscored the importance of the teaching profession and signified the high recognition of teachers across the country.

Launching the prize on behalf of Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, Rev Fordjour indicated that the awards would boost the morale of the teachers in recognizing their role in nation-building.

Speaking on the theme: "Teachers Wanted: Reclaiming Teaching and Learning for a Human-Centred Recovery," Rev Fordjour said the Ministry was committed to recognizing the contributions of hardworking and selfless teachers to improve their work performance.

The event is slated for October 5, this year in Sunyani.

The Deputy Minister called on corporate bodies and individuals to donate towards the GTP to appreciate the good work of teachers and commended the previous and prospective winners.

Mr Christian Addai-Poku, the Registrar, National Teaching Council (NTC), said teachers, during the pandemic, had developed innovative ways such as online teaching to aid effective learning in schools.

Touching on the Teacher Prize, Mr Addai-Poku said the scheme sought to reward and motivate high performing teachers across all educational levels in the country.

Mrs Hazel Konadu Sarpong, the acting Head, Monitoring and Evaluation, NTC, said the winner would receive a three-bedroom house, with the first runner-up taking home a 4X4 double-cabin pickup truck, sponsored by Prudential Bank, while the second runner-up would receive a saloon car, sponsored by Data Bank.

Other prizes, including fridges, deep freezers, laptops, television sets, educational materials and cash prizes, will be presented to other deserving schools and teachers.

Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, the Director-General, Ghana Education Service, commended teachers for their role in national development and instituted a special award christened "D-G award for best Early Childhood Teacher."