By Doreen Ampofo
A Chemistry teacher at Opoku Ware Senior High School has won the African Union’s Continental Best Teacher Award.
Bismark Kwame Tunu, together with seven other outstanding teachers from Kenya, Mauritania, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa, were recognised at an event for World Teachers’ Day, organised by the African Union Commission and UNESCO IICBA.
In an interview, Mr Tunu said his aim is to help bridge the gap between what is taught in school and practically link it to what happens in the laboratory.
Estimates suggest that African nations will need to recruit millions of teachers to respond to rising educational attainment and population growth, not to mention the teachers needed to achieve targets set forth in the Sustainable Development Goals.
This will not be easy in a context where teaching may not be seen as an attractive profession and many teachers already lack the qualifications they need.
The African Union Commission instituted the Continental Best Teacher Award in 2019 to celebrate outstanding teachers, raise their appreciation in society, and demonstrate the difference hard work and innovation can make in the lives of learners.
As argued by an International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa report, teacher awards are important to celebrate the unique contribution that teachers make to their students, their communities, and societies.
Mr Tunu, whose mother was also a teacher, explained in an interview that his love for teaching started when he was nine.
During his mandatory national service at South Suntreso Government Hospital, where he was a biomedical scientist, he took time to explain the concepts and principles of the various tests to students who came on attachment.
After his postgraduate studies, he sat for the teacher recruitment examination, passed, and was posted to Nsawkaw State SHS, where he started teaching.
He said that despite it being demanding, he enjoys the impact he makes on the lives of learners. Mr Tunu, who was unhappy about the lack of collaboration between industries and schools, said he is hoping to send his students to industries where they can relate what is taught in class to its practical application.