Kofi Ampeah Woode
The 2 Garrison Education Centre (2 GEC) held an end-of-year Get-together for staff and facilitators to honour its facilitators (teachers), learners and retired facilitators of 2 Garrison Basic Schools for their hard work, dedication and selfless services, which had contributed to mission accomplishment of the Centre.
On Thursday 21 December 2023, at the Allan Beach Resort in Takoradi, the 2 GEC annual get-together was organized with an additional objective of bringing together stakeholders, retired facilitators, learners and staff, to socialize and de-stress, after a long year of hard work and commitment.
The 2 Garrison Commander and Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command (WNC) – Commodore (Cdre) Emmanuel Ayesu Kwafo, commended the Garrison Education Officer (GEO) and his Staff, facilitators and retirees, for their hard travail, professionalism and discipline.
He emphasized that practitioners of every profession were taught by the Teacher, hence they should be given the respect and recognition that they deserve.
Cdre EA Kwafo revealed that besides the 14 Basic Schools in the Garrison all doing well, efforts were being made to establish a Garrison Senior High School, and thus challenged the GEO to ensure that those efforts see the light of day.
He further commended the retired teachers for their selfless academic contributions towards enhancing teaching and learning in the Garrison, and praised the 2 GEC for organizing the get-together, advising everyone, however, to exercise caution in merry making, as the New Year ensues.
Taking his turn, the Commanding Officer (CO), 2 Infantry Battalion (2Bn) – Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Daniel Atobrah Bondah said the quality of life one lives depends on the sacrifices one makes, hence, all should endeavour to cultivate responsible lifestyles that would lead everyone, like the facilitators, retirees, learners and stakeholders, living enjoyable lifestyles, even in troubling times.
Re-echoing the necessity for a Garrison Senior High School, Lt Col DA Bondah expressed his desire to see the establishment of the 2 GAR SHS, before he left office as CO 2Bn, explain that the establishment of the SHS would absorb teachers who migrate to the senior high level, to remain in the Garrison.
He also challenged the Centre to employ a holistic approach to further improve upon quality education at the Garrison Basic Schools, to make them attractive and beneficial to surrounding communities.
The 2 GEO – Major (Maj) Elvis Blay, in his opening remarks, opined that there was every need to enhance quality of education for all learners in Garrison schools, and that acquiring quality education in the basic level, would ease the struggle learners go through at the Senior High Secondary level, preparing them adequately to become responsible future leaders in society.
Maj Blay appealed to all stakeholders in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, to support the 2 Garrison Education Centre to enable it improve upon teaching and learning.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Director of Education – Mrs Sally Coleman expressed her gratitude to the GEO and his Staff for organizing the social event, and hoped that it would further boost the mutual relationship already existing between 2 Garrison facilitators, learners and all stakeholders in the Metropolis.
Mrs Coleman stated that the Garrison Units have been a force to reckon with, in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, hinting that on Independence Day Celebration in 2024, the State would reward two students from 2 Garrison Basic Schools, who emerged Best Male and Best Female Students, during the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examinations, expressing the hope that students from the Garrison schools continue to attain such success, by commitment and discipline.
Furthermore, Mrs Sally Coleman reiterated that the adage that “a nation that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for”, was expressly manifested in the awards that were given to retired and current facilitators. She said that kind gesture carried out annually, was what drove teachers toward Garrison schools.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metro Director of Education concluded her message by reminding people of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the Metropolis, and advised them to be extremely cautious as they enjoyed the Yuletide and New Year.
The 2 Garrison Education Centre used the occasion to present Plaques of Honour to some facilitators whose excellent teaching skills led to their students performing outstandingly well in the particular subjects that they taught.
They were: Mr. Knight Walker Bassalbia – Best in 2023 BECE Mathematicsm; Madam Theodora Amissah – Best in 2023 BECE Ghanaian Language; Mr. Anthony Kwame Saah – Best in 2023 BECE Visual Arts; Mr. Ali Abdulai – Best in 2023 BECE ICT; Madam Theresa F Adjei – Best in 2023 BECE Religious and Moral Education; Mr. Charles Laryea – Best in 2023 BECE Social Studies; Madam Odilia Mensah Onumah – Best in 2023 BECE Integrated Science; and Madam Monica Asafo-Adjei – Best in 2023 BECE English Language.
Credit: 2 GAR PR Detachment
