CONGRATULATIONS TO HON. HARRUNA IDDRISU ON HIS APPOINTMENT AND CONFIRMATION AS GHANA’S MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

We, the Art Teachers Association of Ghana, wish to express our heartfelt congratulations to you, Hon. Harruna Iddrisu, on your well-deserved appointment and confirmation as Ghana’s new Minister of Education. This is a momentous achievement, and we are confident that under your leadership, the education sector will continue to thrive and evolve.

Your commitment to public service and your extensive experience are a source of great hope for educators, students, and all stakeholders in the sector. We look forward to working alongside you to advance policies and initiatives that will enhance the quality of education in Ghana, ensuring it meets the diverse needs of our nation.

Once again, congratulations, and we wish you success as you embark on this new chapter of leadership in education.

Warm regards,

Dr. Sumaila Issah
National President
Art Teachers Association of Ghana

The Art Teachers’ Association of Ghana is absolutely thrilled to extend our warmest congratulations on your remarkable achievement as the recipient of the Most Outstanding College Tutor award in the 2024 Ghana Teacher Prize competition. Today, we proudly celebrate you, not only as an esteemed member of our Association but also as a shining star in the field of education.

Your unwavering dedication and passion for teaching Visual Art have inspired countless students and enriched the educational landscape at Offinso College of Education. Your remarkable ability to ignite creativity and cultivate a deep love for the arts speaks volumes about your commitment to shaping young minds and fostering artistic expression. This prestigious recognition is a true testament to your hard work, innovative teaching methods, and the profound impact you have made on your students’ lives. We are excited to see how you will continue to inspire and uplift future generations through your exceptional work.

Once again, congratulations on this well-deserved honour. We look forward to witnessing all the amazing contributions you will continue to make in the world of education and the arts.

With heartfelt admiration WE SAY A BIG AYEKOO to you.

With immense joy, the ART TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF GHANA conveys its warmest congratulations to Mr. Ohene Sefa on your remarkable accomplishment as the 1st runner-up for the Best College of Education Tutor 2024 in Ghana. We hope this message finds you thriving and in high spirits. This prestigious recognition is a true reflection of your exceptional talent, dedication, and the profound influence you have on your students. Your commitment to fostering creativity and encouraging critical thinking as a Visual Art Tutor at the Presbyterian College of Education, Akropong, is commendable and has undoubtedly shaped the artistic paths of many aspiring artists.

Your innovative teaching methods and ability to connect with students are truly inspiring. You have created an environment where learners feel empowered to explore their artistic potential, express themselves freely, and embrace their individuality. This nurturing atmosphere you cultivate not only enhances their skills but also instills a deep appreciation for the arts. This award shines a light on the hard work and passion you pour into your role as an educator. You have set a high standard for teaching, demonstrating that education is not just about imparting knowledge but also about inspiring a love for learning and creativity in others. Your influence reaches far beyond the classroom, leaving a lasting impact on both your students and the broader community.

As you take a moment to celebrate this well-deserved honor, please remember that your contributions to education are valued and appreciated by all who have the pleasure of working with you. Your achievements motivate us all to strive for excellence in our own teaching practices. We look forward to witnessing the continued positive impact you will have on visual arts education in Ghana and how you will inspire future generations of artists.

Once again, congratulations on this significant achievement! May this recognition serve as a stepping stone toward even greater accomplishments in your career.

With warmest regards.

Honouring ATAG National Leadership

National Executives 1960 – 1970

Vincent Akwetey Kwofie              National President

W. K. Tamakloe                             National Secretary

National Executives 1970 – 1974

Samuel Boateng                             National President

E. A. Okyere                                    National Secretary

National Executives 1974 – 1977

E. A. Okyere                                     National President

Robert Biney                                    National Secretary

National Executives 1977 – 1979

Robert Biney                                    National President

Benjamin Menyah                           National Secretary

 National Executives 1979 – 1986

O. Aboagye                                       National President

Benjamin Menyah                           National Secretary

National Executives 1986 – 1989

K. Okumpah-Bortei                         National President

Benjamin Menyah                            National Secretary

National Executives 1989 – 1990

Benjamin Menyah                            National President

J. Lellatom                                         National Secretary

National Executives 1990 – 2001

K. Boafo                                              National President

J. Lellatom                                         National Secretary

National Executives 2010- 2012

Kofi Antwi-Wiafe                              National President

Veronica Celatttia Tandoh              1st National Vice President

John Annang                                      National Secretary

Vincent K. Norvor                             Financial Secretary

Akua Afriyie Owusu-Agyeman       National Treasurer

Justice Koranteng                             National Organizing Secretary

National Executives 2014- 2016

Dr Mantey Jectey-Nyarko                National President

John Annang                                       1st National Vice President

Margaret Asabea Anakwa                 2nd National Vice President

Kwame Nti-Yeboah                            National Secretary

John Okrah                                          Assistant Secretary/Organiser

Francis O. Blay                                    Financial Secretary

Lily Obu-Cann                                     National Treasurer

Wendy Ohenewaa Oppong               National Ladies’ Representative

Francis W. Adjwawoke                      National Public Relations Officer

National Executives 2016- 2019

Ibrahim Mahama                              National President

Richard Ekuna                                   2nd National Vice President

Obed Ahordjie                                    National Secretary

Patrick Afful                                        Financial Secretary

Lily Obu-Cann                                    National Treasurer

Evelyn Serwah Boateng                    National Ladies’ Representative

Wisdom Ofori                                     National Public Relations Officer

National Executives 2019 – 2021

Dr Osuanyi Quaicoo Essel              National President

Dr. Victor Q. N. Teye                       1st National Vice President

Evelyn Serwah Boateng                  2^nd National Vice President

Benjamin Quarshie                          National Secretary

Innocent Klodzi                                Financial Secretary

Samuel N. K. Mireku                        National Treasurer

Dr Issah Sumaila                               National Organizer

Justice Arthur                                    National Public Relations Officer

National Executives 2021 – 2024

Prof. Dr. Osuanyi Quaicoo Essel    National President

Nyamawero Navei                             1st National Vice President

Evelyn Serwah Boateng                    2^nd National Vice President

Benjamin Quarshie                           National Secretary

Isaac Joe Swenzy Dadzie                 Financial Secretary

Samuel N. K. Mireku                        National Treasurer

Dr Issah Sumaila                               National Organizer

Samuel Donkoh                                 National Public Relations Officer

The Art Teachers’ Association of Ghana extends its heartfelt congratulations to our esteemed member, Mr. Benjamin Semenyo Lifeson, for his exceptional achievement as the premier recipient of the Most Outstanding College Tutor award in the 2023 Ghana Teacher Prize competition.

Mr. Lifeson, an ardent art educator at the Presbyterian College of Education, your unwavering commitment, tireless efforts, and continuous pursuit of professional development have culminated in this prestigious accolade. Your significant contributions to community service and a multitude of invaluable professional activities have exemplified your dedication to the field of education.

The Art Teachers’ Association of Ghana, celebrates your meritorious achievement. The Association remains steadfast in its mission of enhancing teacher professionalism the discipline of Art Education. We are resolute in our commitment to providing Teacher Continuous Professional Development (TCPD) opportunities to our members, fostering excellence and maintaining high standards of practice.

Benjamin Semenyo Lifeson, Ayekoo!

ATAG NATIONAL PRESENTS €1200 TO THE WINNERS OF ATAG & BDK INFO ART COMPETITION

The Art Teachers’ Association of Ghana (ATAG) in collaboration with the Association for art education DBK e.V. Bavaria, Germany opened entries for art competition for art teachers at the pre-tertiary level in Ghana. The competition which focused on presenting project-based proposal on teaching art with the theme: Art education in the Global Perspective, received a total of 12 entries nationwide. The entries were critically evaluated after the submission deadline in February 2022 by a team of adjudicators from the department of Art Education, School of Creative Arts University of Education, Winneba. Three of the entries were selected as the winners of the competition based on the quality of work presented.

In a short ceremony, a total of One Thousand Two Hundred Euros cash was presented to winners. The first prize, Five hundred Euros was presented to Mr Theophilus Owusu. The second prize, as sum of Four hundred Euros presented to Mr. Appiah Gyachie whereas Mr David Hallo receives a sum of Three hundred Euros for the third prize. The cash prize, sponsored by the German partners, DBK, was to support the winners to complete their various projects of for further evaluation.

The award ceremony was held at the department of art education and was graced by Dr. Osuanyi Q. Essel (National President, ATAG), Mr. Benjamin Quarshie (National Secretary, ATAG), Mr. Samuel Donkoh (National PRO, ATAG), Prof. Patrique deGraft-Yankson (Dean, School of Creative Arts UEW), Dr. Emmanuel K. Aminsah (UEW, ATAG Patron) and other members of the association.

The national executive entreats all art teachers to be proactive to take such opportunities in the future seriously as it will help them to secure reputable position in the global space as professional.

POSITION STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCTION OF STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS) EDUCATION IN GHANA

 1.Introduction

The Art Teachers’ Association of Ghana (ATAG), a registered professional body at the forefront of Arts education delivery in Ghana, with membership comprising of seasoned Art Educators at both pre-tertiary and tertiary levels of education in Ghana present our official position on the recent adoption and implementation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational policy by the Ministry of Education and the National Teaching Council.

The National Teaching Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Education organised stakeholders meeting on August 10, 2021 in Accra on the theme ‘STEM Education in Ghana: What Ought to Happen’.We observed that the eminent scholars invited for the presentation on the said date were drawn from science, engineering and mathematics background just as the theme suggested. The incisive presentations from these scholars hammered on the aforementioned subject areas – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – as key in training the twenty-first century learner in Ghana.

However, drawing cue from best practices of advanced and developing nations who are making giant strides in inventions and innovations points to the fact that those countries have prioritized certain fields of study we (in Ghana) have neglected in addition to Science, Technology and Mathematics. Based on best global practices, ATAG make its position clear on the continuous exclusion of Arts Education in the promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in Ghanaian educational policies.

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ATAG & BDK INFO ART COMPETITION

How can we teach Global Perspectives in Art Education?

The Art Teachers’ Association of Ghana (ATAG) in collaboration with the association for art education BDK e.V. in Bavaria, Germanyis organising an Art competition focused onTeaching of Art lessons or project on the theme Art education in the Global Perspective. The competition solicits creative and innovative model of teaching of art in the Ghanaian context which is equally relevant in teaching art lesson or project in a global perspective or context. This implies that the art project or lesson developed must be educationally relevant to both local and global perspective of teaching art.

In the face of the changing approaches and expansion of the frontiers of the educational needs of art and art education, it has become imperative to streamline educational relevancies of art and art education to shape global perspective of the field to have a better impact on people from different cultural orientations and backgrounds. It is in the light of this that, we invite art educators to develop practical ideas for art lessons on how art education can be designed in a global perspective. Whether participants deal thematically with material in artistic processes in transcultural contexts, examine historical art in the focus of exoticism, explore contemporary strategies of art in a globalised world, jointly develop ideas on transcultural understanding – we look forward to exciting ideas!

The fundamental question guiding this competition is finding a better way of creating a practical art lesson model or project which could be in the form ofincorporating new topics and objects or by questioning the traditional canon of art in a new and different way; or through creative collaborationsof ideas/concepts and many others that could generate a robust art lesson model that suit international perspective.

For easy understanding of your entries, we would appreciate, if applicants could produce a prototype of the conceived idea or lesson and send it together with proposed project or video record (not exceeding 15minutes) the project and send it to us.

Submission process:

Submit a synopsis with the following details:

• Name of participant and the school you teach; and your addressesand active phone number).
• Aim of the project
• Project description with planned activities
• Submission of a project documentation in a MS-Word file format (max. 2-4 pages), and pictures and/or video to help explain your project better to the jury.
• Name the file ATAG BDK INFO ART COMPETITION
• Deadline for submissionby 15 February 2022 via email atagonline.org@gmail.com

Prize

Prizes will be awarded to a concept, that explains the implementation of a respective project. If your proposal is awarded a prize, you will receive financial support in the form of vouchers for the purchase of materials the execution of the actual project.

The project funding amounts to between 200 and 500 euros.

Participants: The competition is aimed at art teachers of both private and public schools (from Primary to SHS) in Ghana.

Jury: The submitted project concepts will be juried by expert artists and lecturers in art education in Ghana; and members of the BDK board, Bavaria, Germany.

Publication: Selected results will be published in the professional journal BDK INFO, Bavaria and the Journal African Art Education (JAAE).

The Art Teachers’ Association of Ghana, a National Teaching Council certified service provider, has organised useful presentations to help prospective applicants review for the intended 2021 promotional exams. Kindly follow the provided links to access the presentations:

https://youtu.be/-NxNBQzByH8

https://youtu.be/LooTJslJKJY

https://youtu.be/WGPRXUfNWu4

https://youtu.be/8VTp6SoA8I0

After going through the presentations you WhatsApp your questions to discuss on 0545349392.

Have a fruitful revision.

The Art teachers’ Association of Ghana congratulates our cherished member, Mr. Ebenezer Kojo Otoo, for emerging as the Most Outstanding Teacher in 2021 edition of Ghana Teacher Prize 2021. Otoo, your hard work and activeness in continuous professional development and other prescribed activities has earned you this prestigious laurel. Ayekoo!

We, the Art Teachers’ Association of Ghana as a registered Service Provider under the National Teaching Council will continue our mandate of providing Teacher Continuous Professional Development (TCPD) to our members for professionalism and good standing.

Mr Ebenezer Otoo, a diligent art teacher, once again, accept our warmest congratulations on your achievement.

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SIGNED

BENJAMIN QUARSHIE

ATAG NATIONAL SECRETARY