Teachers Should Serve As Mentors To Students

Dr David Togbe Nfodjo, the Chief Executive Officer of Erratic Truth Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation based in Maryland, USA, has urged teachers to serve as mentors to students and show interest in their academic activities for excellence.

He said teachers had the responsibility to shape the minds of students to take up leadership roles in future and should therefore encourage students to learn hard and withstand the fear of failure.

Dr Nfodjo gave the advice in a speech read on his behalf at the Speech and Prize giving day of Awudome Senior High School (SHS) in Tsito in the Volta Region, on the theme: 'Renewed Attitude; A Tool for Academic Excellence.'

'When teachers are active stakeholders in the drive for change, we see students challenged and communities energized.

'We must face the challenges we have as a united front, because a renewed attitude can work wonders where everyone owns the responsibility of ensuring success and serves to make that goal a reality,' he added.

He charged the students to become active stakeholders in their quest for change and drive themselves to become better by researching beyond what they have been taught in class.

'Do whatever it takes to become the best students you can ever be, you have no excuse or reason to fail and even when you fail, get back up and try again. Failure is when you give up and not when you try again'.

He disclosed that his outfit had instituted the 'Sebastian Kwame Nfodjo Most Valuable Performer Award', to encourage teachers to improve academic performance and pledged to replicate the award in the seven other SHSs in the Ho West Constituency.

'The Foundation believes that when people from all walks of lives get a fair opportunity to receive quality and affordable education, there will be a positive transformation on the social welfare of communities, which in turn, creates conducive environments for business opportunity and sustained economic development for nations'.

The Foundation seeks to collaborate with communities, institutions and individuals to drive social change through innovative solutions, and a renewed attitude in education, community development, consultancy and content creation can lead to resounding excellence, he added.

The Foundation, he said, would continue to support needy but brilliant students to realize their future ambitions and contribute meaningfully to national development.

He promised to complete the fence wall of the school to prevent encroachment in the school.

Mr Emmanuel Amu, the Headmaster of the School, said the institution which was established in 1963, currently had a total number of 1845 students offering General Science, Business, General Arts, Home Economics, Visual Arts and Agriculture.

He appealed to the government and corporate bodies to come to their aid to provide adequate accommodation for teachers and students, dining hall, science laboratory among others to help improve teaching and learning.

Mr Elias Kwao Siabi, the Accounting Tutor of the School won the 'Nfodzo Most Valuable Performer Award' for his commitment to work.

He was presented with a plaque, a citation in his honour and an amount of 300 dollars.

The Best Outstanding Prefect went to Mr Love Dogbe, while the Best Girls' Assistant Prefect went to Miss Abudu Sadiq Sadia, with Miss Debora Avenyo emerging as the outstanding SHS three (3) student.

Other awards were presented to students for their sterling academic performance in all the subjects