Rewards aplenty as Inoyo foundation honours Akwa Ibom teachers

The ninth edition of the Inoyo Toro Foundation Award for Public School Teachers in Akwa Ibom State, holds tomorrow at the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Former law lecturer and seasoned commercial law practitioner, Edo Bassey Ukpong, of Consolex Legal Practitioners, and Chief Executive Officer, Seven Energy Exploration and Production Ltd, Philip Iheanacho, would be chairman and guest speaker in that order.

Since its debut over eight years ago, the foundation innovative reward for teachers of schools with outstanding performance, especially in the core science subjects of biology, physics and chemistry, and including English language and mathematics, has created an enhanced level of enthusiasm for teachers.

The processes involved in arriving at the selection of awardees are very rigorous; with the teachers undergoing many tests, which usually starts with a review of the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) results for public secondary schools, with students pass rate of up to 75 per cent and above in the award subjects (depending on the pass/failure rate of the reviewed year).

The process also involves visits and inspection of libraries, laboratories and the learning environment to assess the genuineness of the high scores achieved in the reviewed WASC results as well as questionnaires for students to assess the suitability of the teachers.

In the final stage, short-listed teachers are subjected to a screening test in two parts, the first being an aptitude test based on the WAEC syllabus, but needs speed and accuracy. The second part is oral examination/interview in which teachers must meet the cut off mark and set qualify standard for the written test.

An independent body of academics from the University of Uyo carries out these tests. Given the annual visits to almost all the public secondary schools in the state, the foundation now has sufficient information that can facilitate improvement in any of the schools.

Award-winning teachers are in two categories. Where a teacher wins an award in the core subjects, he/she is no longer eligible to compete, except at a tier two, which is tagged the ‘grand mentor’s award’. All previous winners are expected to engage in mentorship of fellow teachers and are encouraged to establish their group, register teachers and carry out periodic coaching.

Should any of these mentees become an award recipient, the teacher that trained him/her now becomes a ‘grand mentor’ and receives N500, 000 as prize money, at a very colorful ceremony attended annually by over 500 students, teachers and government officials.