SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE HON. DISTRICT CHIEF EXECUTIVE (DCE), CLEMENT AKUGRE ATTAH ON THE OCCASION OF THE 3RD QUADRENNIAL DISTRICT DELEGATES CONFERENCE HELD IN THE ASSEMBLY HALL IN BONGO ON 18TH JUNE 2009

Mr. Chairman
District Director of Education GNAT Executives
Hon. Assembly Members Present Heads of Departments Distinguished Invited Guests Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a great honour and pleasure for me to be offered this opportunity to be part of this 3rd Quadrennial District Delegates Conference particularly when one takes into account the fact that this happens to be my first official programme upon assuming duty only yesterday.

I am therefore very grateful for your kind invitation to deliver this address on such an important occasion which I believe is going to provide all stakeholders gathered here the opportunity to deliberate on strategies that can be adopted to address some of the teething challenges that confront the advancement of our educational development. I therefore welcome you all this memoral Conference in Bongo.

Mr. Chairman, the concern about the falling standard of education that is gradually gaining expression across the entire nation can not be over emphasized. Many have attributed the decline to a number of factors including the creeping indisciplined behaviour on the part of some teachers. There are however a lot of teachers who are very committed, hardworking and dedicated to their work but as the saying goes, it is the few bad nuts who are destroying the hard-earned reputation of the teaching profession.

More often than not, some teachers are seen to have abandoned the ethnics or Code of Conduct that govern this enviable noble profession. Drunkness, Absenteeism, engagement in sexual relationship with pupils, instigating pupils against those in authority, anonymous letter writing and examination malpractices among others have become the normal practice on the part of some of our teachers rather than the exception.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, all gathered here will agree with me that the manifestation of these negative practices do not augur well for promoting quality education for our children. The continuous declining performance of our Schools at the BECE in the midst of these negative attributes have constituted a huge worry to parents and the Assembly as well. It is therefore heartwarming Mr. Chairman, that the organizers have chosen "Discipline, a key factor for teachers Competence" as the theme for this Conference. The theme for the Conference is therefore most appropriate and timely in view of the negative perception that the general public is beginning to have about teachers in general.

As education forms an important pre-requisite for the development of every nation, I wish to charge this Conference to conduct a dispassionate deliberation on the issue of discipline not only on the part the teacher but how other stakeholders can contribute to its realization to promote the competence of the teacher for better service delivery.

I am also hopeful that this Conference is also going to offer participants the avenue to carry out a performance appraisal on members so that at the end of the day delegates can come out with appropriate strategies to address some of the professional inadequacies that confront the teaching environment.

As agents of change, I wish to charge GNAT to impress upon members to develop a healthy school/community relationship in areas where they work. It is only through such healthy interactions with community members that the desired results in developing an appreciable standard of education can be achieved.

We as a District Assembly will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders to develop education to the desired level.    We have  ca identified education as a priority in the Assembly’s development agenda. We have therefore been spending a chunk of our resources,    in that sector through the provision of classroom infrastructure, sponsorship of teacher trainees and students among others.

I will on this score urge parents and other stakeholders to join hands in reshaping the path towards the attainment of a better standard of education for our districts and the nation as a whole.

On this note, I once again thank GNAT for the kind invitation and now declare the 3rd Quadrennial District Delegates Conference duly opened.

Thank you.