The 5th Excellence Award organized under the auspices of the Institute of Education, has been held with a call on the Ghana Education Service to grant study leave to the award winners to pursue a two-year Post Diploma studies at the university. The award scheme was instituted five years ago to reward students of the Colleges of Education offering Diploma in Basic Education who exhibit academic excellence and high moral and social standards.   The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole who made the appeal said, “This will serve as the contribution of the GES towards this award ceremony and also be more than a motivation to our distinguished graduands and others who are in school. We pray that this ceremony will be sustainable and impact positively in the Ghanaian society”.   The Vice-Chancellor urged the award winners to go into the world and make outstanding contribution to humanity as they did with their studies. “May I take this opportunity to also remind all award winners that winning of these awards places a special responsibility on you to go into the world and make the same kind of outstanding contribution to society as you have done in your studies”.   Prof. Kuupole advised the awardees that, to have an outstanding success in life requires that you exhibit high ethical standards, be able to work in teams and solve unexpected challenges, adding that “You need to work extremely hard, be smart, have the drive to excel and be life-long learner”. Delivering the keynote address, the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr. Jacob Kor said the service would continue to emphasise on quality education with the teacher at the centre. The Excellence Award, the Director General declared is “a smart initiative that could rekindle the spirit of our teachers in training to put out their best”. He commended the proponents of the award scheme saying “It will not only shape the lives and destinies of the trainee teachers, it will certainly have a trickle down effect on the students and pupils that shall be handled by these teachers”. He urged the organisers of the awards to widen their net to cover at least one teacher from the five (5) private absorbed colleges of education in the country instead of limiting it to public ones.   The Director of the Institute of Education, Prof. Frederick Ocansey, said results have shown that academic performance of students has improved significantly over the years. “During the first few years, the results were not the best. Then we saw improvements and started recording some first class. The 2010-year group produced 6, in 2012 the number increased to 60 and today we have 126” he explained. He commended the award winners for their perseverance and dedication to their studies.   The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. G. K. T. Oduro, who chaired the function reiterated the appeal to the GES to grant the awardees study leave with pay to enable them pursue their post-diploma studies. He also advised the awardees to be humble at their places of work saying “Humility will send you to where money cannot send you”.   Grant Study Leave to Institute of Education Award Winners-Vice-Chancellor Appeals to GES   The 5th Excellence Award organized under the auspices of the Institute of Education, has been held with a call on the Ghana Education Service to grant study leave to the award winners to pursue a two-year Post Diploma studies at the university. The award scheme was instituted five years ago to reward students of the Colleges of Education offering Diploma in Basic Education who exhibit academic excellence and high moral and social standards.   The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole who made the appeal said, “This will serve as the contribution of the GES towards this award ceremony and also be more than a motivation to our distinguished graduands and others who are in school. We pray that this ceremony will be sustainable and impact positively in the Ghanaian society”.   The Vice-Chancellor urged the award winners to go into the world and make outstanding contribution to humanity as they did with their studies. “May I take this opportunity to also remind all award winners that winning of these awards places a special responsibility on you to go into the world and make the same kind of outstanding contribution to society as you have done in your studies”.   Prof. Kuupole advised the awardees that, to have an outstanding success in life requires that you exhibit high ethical standards, be able to work in teams and solve unexpected challenges, adding that “You need to work extremely hard, be smart, have the drive to excel and be life-long learner”. Delivering the keynote address, the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr. Jacob Kor said the service would continue to emphasise on quality education with the teacher at the centre. The Excellence Award, the Director General declared is “a smart initiative that could rekindle the spirit of our teachers in training to put out their best”. He commended the proponents of the award scheme saying “It will not only shape the lives and destinies of the trainee teachers, it will certainly have a trickle down effect on the students and pupils that shall be handled by these teachers”. He urged the organisers of the awards to widen their net to cover at least one teacher from the five (5) private absorbed colleges of education in the country instead of limiting it to public ones.   The Director of the Institute of Education, Prof. Frederick Ocansey, said results have shown that academic performance of students has improved significantly over the years. “During the first few years, the results were not the best. Then we saw improvements and started recording some first class. The 2010-year group produced 6, in 2012 the number increased to 60 and today we have 126” he explained. He commended the award winners for their perseverance and dedication to their studies.   The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. G. K. T. Oduro, who chaired the function reiterated the appeal to the GES to grant the awardees study leave with pay to enable them pursue their post-diploma studies. He also advised the awardees to be humble at their places of work saying “Humility will send you to where money cannot send you”.