A Ghanaian teacher has once again placed the country in the global spotlight after being named the Sub-Saharan African regional winner of the 2026 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards, marking the second consecutive year a Ghanaian educator has claimed the honor.

Abigail Agyeiwaa, an English teacher at Mangoase Senior High School, emerged victorious from a field of more than 1,500 nominated teachers across Sub-Saharan Africa for her contribution to education and community development.

The award is organized by Cambridge University Press & Assessment and recognizes outstanding teachers making transformative impacts in classrooms and communities around the world.

Her recognition comes just a year after fellow Ghanaian educator Portia Dzilah won the overall global prize, further strengthening Ghana’s growing reputation for educational excellence and innovation.

Abigail, who began her teaching career in 2014 in the rural town of Adawso, has become widely known for championing quality education in underserved communities and advocating equal opportunities for rural learners.

Over the years, her work has expanded beyond classroom teaching into social intervention programmes aimed at tackling barriers preventing children, particularly girls and vulnerable students, from staying in school.

Through the establishment of the KAGAS Foundation Ghana, she has spearheaded initiatives focused on education, health awareness and gender empowerment within communities in the Akuapem North Municipality.

Speaking after the announcement, Abigail described education as a basic human right and said her passion for teaching had always gone beyond academic instruction.

She explained that many students struggle not because of a lack of intelligence, but because of poverty, limited opportunities and social challenges that affect their confidence and ability to remain in school.

“For me, teaching has always meant understanding what prevents children from succeeding and trying to remove those obstacles,” she said, adding that the award would inspire her to continue supporting disadvantaged learners.

Officials of Cambridge University Press & Assessment praised her commitment to educational transformation and community impact.

Group Managing Director for International Education at Cambridge, Rod Smith, said Abigail represented the highest values of the teaching profession by extending her influence beyond the classroom to improve the wellbeing of learners.

He noted that her work demonstrated how education could serve as a powerful tool for social change, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

The 2026 edition of the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards attracted more than 12,000 nominations from 126 countries, with nine teachers selected as regional winners across different parts of the world.

Public voting has now opened to determine the overall global winner, who will be announced on June 2, 2026.

Abigail will compete against the eight other regional winners for the top global honour, with voting expected to close on May 13.

Her latest recognition is expected to further energise conversations around teacher welfare, rural education and the role of educators in national development.

graphic.com.gh

Cambridge Regional Education Award

The Headmistress of Spiritan Senior High Technical School, Emelia Adusei, has made a passionate appeal for urgent government and stakeholder intervention to address critical infrastructure challenges facing the school. Speaking in a recent interview aired on United Television Ghana, popularly known as UTV Ghana, the headmistress highlighted longstanding issues affecting academic activities and student safety at the institution located in Adankwame in the Atwima Nwabiagya area of the Ashanti Region.

According to Madam Adusei, the school’s most pressing concern is the lack of proper fencing around the compound. She explained that the absence of a perimeter wall has left the campus exposed, allowing animals such as cattle and sheep to roam freely within the school environment. The situation, she noted, poses serious safety risks to students and staff while also disrupting teaching and learning activities on campus.

The headmistress also expressed concern over the school’s deteriorating and incomplete infrastructure. She pointed to inadequate dormitory facilities, especially for male students, as well as insufficient classroom blocks and the lack of essential amenities needed for effective academic work. Some of the projects, she revealed, have remained unfinished since around the 2019 academic year, leaving several facilities either abandoned or in poor condition.

Madam Adusei stressed that the continuous infrastructure deficits are negatively affecting the overall academic environment of the technical institution. She explained that overcrowded classrooms, inadequate hostel accommodation, and the poor state of school structures make it difficult for both students and teachers to operate under conducive conditions. She further indicated that the school also faces operational and staffing challenges, which require immediate support from relevant authorities.

In an emotional appeal, the headmistress called on the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of Education, corporate institutions, philanthropists, and other stakeholders to come to the aid of the school. She emphasized that securing the school compound through fencing and completing the necessary infrastructure projects would significantly improve security and create a better learning environment for students pursuing technical and vocational education.

Visuals shown during the television report captured the current state of the school, including aging classroom blocks, incomplete structures, surrounding vegetation, and open spaces vulnerable to intrusion. The footage underscored the gap between the institution’s educational potential and the challenges posed by its physical infrastructure.

The situation at Spiritan Senior High Technical School reflects broader concerns within Ghana’s secondary education sector, particularly among technical and vocational institutions that continue to struggle with inadequate funding, delayed government projects, and poor infrastructure development. Many schools across the country have repeatedly appealed for support to improve facilities necessary for quality education delivery.

Despite the challenges, Madam Adusei reaffirmed her commitment and dedication to ensuring students receive quality education. Her public appeal through the media is expected to draw attention to the urgent needs of the school and encourage swift intervention from authorities and development partners.

The headmistress’s message remains clear: Spiritan Senior High Technical School urgently requires fencing, improved dormitories, better classrooms, and enhanced infrastructure support to provide students with a safe and conducive learning environment. Without immediate action, the school’s efforts to deliver quality technical education may continue to face significant setbacks.

Watch the video below:

All final-year male students of the Bolgatanga Technical Institute (BOTECH) have been directed to vacate the school campus following intelligence gathered by the Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC) that they were planning a violent disturbance on campus.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, gave the order when he addressed an emergency gathering of students and staff on Wednesday evening, May 6, 2026.

The Minister said the directive was based on credible security intelligence indicating that some students were preparing to unleash chaos and target key infrastructure on campus.

“What I have picked up among you is that some of you are preparing for hell to break loose tonight on campus, and we will not allow that to happen. You are hereby directed to leave campus immediately,” he stated.

The Minister explained that the decision was a proactive measure to prevent a potential crisis, safeguard lives, and protect public property.

He expressed concern over what he described as a worrying pattern of unrest and destruction of school facilities at BOTECH, noting that allowing tensions to escalate could result in serious consequences, including injuries or fatalities.

“I don’t take delight in punishing people, but if you have called for it, we have to find a way out,” he stated.

The Minister cautioned that failure to comply with the directive could adversely affect the students’ academic progression, including their ability to sit for final examinations.

Scope of Directive

Clarifying the scope of the directive, the Minister stressed that the evacuation order was not a total closure of the institution but a targeted intervention.

According to him, security intelligence specifically identified third-year male students as the group behind the planned disturbances, necessitating the decision for them to vacate the campus immediately.

The Minister said third-year female students, who were not implicated, had been allowed to remain on campus. He added that first-year students would also remain, while second-year students were already off campus as part of their academic schedule.

“It is unfortunate that just a minority is causing this, but a system is in place to identify them,” he said.

Caution

The Regional Minister issued a stern warning that any attempt to defy the directive would attract stronger enforcement measures, including the deployment of military personnel.

“If you don’t leave the campus as directed, I will come back with the military,” he cautioned.

He urged the affected students to comply fully to allow authorities to restore calm and swiftly resolve the situation, after which normal academic activities could resume.

He assured that REGSEC had activated mechanisms to identify and deal with those behind the planned unrest.

He reiterated that the directive was necessary to maintain order and protect the school community while investigations continued.

“Obey this directive so that we can address the matter quickly and allow you to write your examinations,” he appealed.

Recurring Unrest

The anticipated incident adds to a growing list of disturbances at the school over the years, where student protests have occasionally escalated into violence and the destruction of school property.

In January 2015, riots broke out at the school after some students reportedly raised an alarm about a fire outbreak in one of the boys’ dormitories around midnight. During the ensuing stampede, a student was pushed to the ground. Reports indicated that the dormitory lacked protective rails to prevent such accidents.

Some students blamed the incident on the deplorable condition of the facility and staged a protest demanding immediate renovation. As part of their action, they embarked on a hunger strike, rejecting breakfast, lunch, and supper.

February 2021

In February 2021, the school was shut down following violent disturbances on campus. Information gathered indicated that the violence erupted after a heated argument between two final-year students escalated into stone-throwing and the destruction of school property.

August 2022

In 2022, a similar incident led to the indefinite closure of the school after violent clashes between students and security personnel during final examinations.

The unrest began when four students and two teachers were picked up by officials of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) for alleged involvement in examination malpractice.

August 2025

In August 2025, another violent protest broke out after six students were suspended for misconduct. The situation escalated, leading to extensive destruction of school property.

Students reportedly disconnected the school from the national electricity grid, set the entire library block ablaze, destroyed the school bus, and damaged several plastic water tanks.

The school was eventually shut down, and upon their return, each second- and third-year male student was made to pay GH¢1,000 and sign a bond before being readmitted.

myjoyonline.com