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

Seven individuals, including two headteachers, two teachers, a senior examination supervisor and invigilators, have been granted police inquiry bail after being arrested over alleged examination malpractice during the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at the Kyebi Amanfrom Basic School examination centre in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The suspects were arrested by the Kibi Divisional Police Command following an operation involving officials of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

According to sources, WAEC officials on an unannounced monitoring exercise at various examination centres allegedly caught the senior examination supervisor and invigilators taking photographs of examination question papers with their mobile phones.

The officials reportedly apprehended the suspects on the spot and handed them over to the Kyebi Police for investigations.

Sources at the divisional police command told Citi News that preliminary investigations and checks on the suspects’ mobile phones allegedly revealed that the examination questions were being forwarded to headteachers, who then worked with teachers to solve them before the answers were allegedly relayed back to candidates in the examination hall through the supervisor and invigilators.

Police investigations subsequently led to the arrest of the headteacher and a teacher of Kyebi Odumase Presby School, as well as the headteacher and a teacher of Okanta Presby Basic School.

The senior examination supervisor and invigilators arrested on Tuesday are said to have assisted police in identifying and apprehending the other suspects.

Teacher union representatives who later visited the divisional police command reportedly secured police inquiry bail for the seven suspects after arguing that they were not flight risks and would cooperate fully with ongoing investigations.

As part of the bail conditions, police confiscated the mobile phones of all the suspects and directed them to report to the police station daily while investigations continue.

citinewsroom.com

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