The Centre for Education, Innovation and Development (CEIB), has awarded winners in the High School Poetry Competition in Accra.
In all, three winners and their runners-up were awarded in three categories.
Princess Hanna Lomotey, from the Wesley Grammar Senior High School (SHS), won the Environment Category with Elisabeth Frimpong from Accra High SHS and Agyarewaa Mensah-Bonsu, from Accra Girls SHS winning second and third places respectively.
For the Gender category, Danielle-Marie Acquah-Allotey, from Brainy Brain School, emerged as the winner whilst Danielle Owusu Afari from Accra Girls SHS and Oliver Osei Owusu placed second and third respectively.
King David Quaye, a student of Accra Academy SHS, won the Corruption Category while Anne-Marie Baiden from Accra Girls SHS and Reginald Ankrah from Wesley Grammar SHS placed second and third respectively.
For their prizes, the overall winners in each category received a laptop and a certificate whilst the second runners-up received a Samsung Galaxy Tablet
and certificate each and the third place, GHC 1000 and certificate each.
The Accra Academy SHS received a certificate for winning the School with the Highest Number of Contestants.
Wesley Grammar SHS also received a certificate for being the Overall Best Contestant School.
Ms Selina Torrison Saaka, Country Lead, CEIB, said the primary objective of the competition was to promote and celebrate the literary talents of SHS students while fostering a culture of critical thinking and creativity among the youth.
She said the competition aligned with the objectives outlined in the Education Strategic Plan (ESP 2018-2030) for Ghana, which emphasised the improvement of teaching and learning quality across all educational levels and the development of competency-based skills.
‘As we strive to reorient our learners and education stakeholders towards achieving these objectives, we recognise the vital role that media plays in facilitating this process,’ the Country Lead stated.
Ms Saaka said despite the significance
of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, communication and language development played a crucial role in reducing poverty and expanding lifelong learning opportunities.
She said it ensured a well-rounded education for students.
Mr Stephen Abamfo, Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, said the three genres of literature, Prose, Poetry and Drama highlighted culture.
He noted that Poetry in particular tried to correct some ills and praised good deeds in society.
‘We, the Educational Directorate so far as Greater Accra is concerned, is going to support the system, I’m going to support it in a way that next year it is going to spread throughout the whole region and all schools will come on board,’ Mr Abamfo stated.
Mrs Beauty Nartey, Country Director of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), said corruption, which had a cross-cutting effect on all aspects of life, was a societal scourge hindering progress and undermining justice.
‘When the Country Lead informed me that
most of the contestants were focused on corruption, I was so impressed because it means that our youth are paying attention to Ghana’s problems and are interested in helping address them,’ she said
Mrs Nartey said the voices of the poets possessed the transformative power to effect change by making their poetry not just an artistic expression but the catalyst for societal transformation.
The Country Director said citizens must recognise the pivotal role of education in nurturing ethical leadership and social responsibility.
‘GACC is committed to fostering partnerships with educational institutions and organisations like CEID to empower our youth, instilling in them values of integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct,’ she said.
Source: Ghana News Agency
